Toyota finds new use for old nameplate

With its 2021 Venza crossover, due in dealerships this summer, Toyota is looking to capture those consumers for whom its hot-selling RAV4 hybrid just doesn't tick enough style boxes.

The white-space vehicle — slotted between the two-row RAV4 and three-row Highlander crossovers but closer to the RAV4 — resurrects an old nameplate for a sleeker, longer version of the smaller crossover, with a much more upscale front fascia and bigger, bolder interior electronics.

The strategy mimics that adopted by other automakers in adding to their offerings in the crossover segment, much as Volkswagen did with the introduction this spring of the Atlas Cross Sport. The segment expanded 6.4 percent in 2019 to nearly 950,000, making it one of the industry's fastest-growing product categories.

The 2021 Venza — a two-row, hybrid-only midsize crossover built on the same TNGA-K platform as the Highlander and RAV4 — is almost 6 inches longer than the RAV4 but has a lower roofline.

Unlike the RAV4, the Venza, which is known as the Harrier in Japan, will come standard with both electronic all-wheel drive and a hybrid powertrain capable of an estimated 40 mpg combined, Toyota says. When it arrives in U.S. dealerships, the Venza will be the seventh nameplate in Toyota's family of crossovers and SUVs, as Americans are increasingly shifting out of cars to light trucks.

"Both from pricing and positioning, we believe there's an underserved market between RAV4 and Highlander," said Toyota Motor North America sales chief Bob Carter, adding the company expects annual U.S. sales of the Venza to tally 50,000, well below the RAV4 at 448,071 and the Highlander at 239,438.

"Combine that with hybrid and awd, and we believe that area of the market is underserved. It's not going to be core volume that we anticipate, but it's a very important segment," he said.

Toyota discontinued the previous Venza crossover wagon after the 2015 model year because of slow sales and a changing market. The 2021 Venza debuted last week in an online event.

Inside, the 2021 Venza features an available center-mounted 12.3-inch touch screen, a 7-inch display in the instrument cluster, a digital rearview mirror and a 10-inch color head-up display for the driver. The Venza will have an available fixed panoramic glass roof capable of electronically reducing direct sunlight while increasing light in the cabin, as well as heated and ventilated first-row seating.

As part of Toyota's strategy to standardize its suite of safety systems, the Venza will come standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, including adaptive dynamic cruise control, lane-departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams and road-sign assist, along with collision avoidance and pedestrian detection.

The Venza is equipped with a 2.5-liter inline-four engine mated to three electric motors, delivering 219 hp.

It will ride on 18-inch wheels in lower trims, while the top-end XLE and Limited trims come standard with 19-inch wheels. Cargo capacity behind the second-row seats is slightly less than that of the RAV4.

Pricing for the Venza was not announced.

When it goes on sale, it will come with a three-year/36,000-mile bumper- to-bumper warranty and two years of factory scheduled maintenance.

"There is space in that segment for Toyota," says Stephanie Brinley, principal automotive analyst with IHS Markit.

"Toyota had a lot of options among sedans. And as consumers move from sedans to CUVs, it does give their customers a little more choice. You have people who don't need the space of the Highlander, but want something a little more than a RAV4, and the Venza will have a more up-level interior than the RAV4. It will be a nice addition to their lineup," she said.