The Toyota Venza is back in the form of the 2021 Toyota Venza — an exclusively hybrid crossover that's based on the Japanese market Toyota Harrier.
The first-generation Toyota Venza launched in late 2008 as an alternative to sedans, according to a Toyota press release. It was marketed toward people who wanted the looks of a Camry or Avalon but with the utility of a crossover. The resulting Venza was sort of a tall station wagon, not quite a full-fledged SUV or van, but served as a two-row option next to the RAV4 and slotting beneath the larger Highlander.
Venza sales were most successful in 2009, according to Motor Trend. After that, however, the numbers started dropping: "Numbers started to decline in the following years, and in 2014, Venza sales were down 16.3% with 29,991 examples sold. That's a stark contrast to the 267,698 RAV4s sold, and the 146,127 Highlanders sold during the same period."
Toyota finally made the decision to end production of the Venza after the 2015 model year, citing "customer preference, competitiveness within the segment, and deteriorating sales."
Which meant that for the following years, the Toyota crossover and SUV lineup lacked a mid-size crossover to sit between the RAV4 and Highlander. And seeing as the RAV4 and Highlander were Toyota's two best-selling SUVs last year (indeed, the RAV4 was Toyota's best-selling vehicle overall), there's likely good financial sense in reintroducing the Venza.
What else is new on the new Venza? Keep scrolling to find out.
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