Reborn as a hybrid-only midsize SUV
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MotorTranscript
00:00 This is the all new Toyota Venza,
00:02 a hybrid only crossover SUV that emphasizes
00:06 design and efficiency over outright sportiness.
00:10 That said, how does the Venza compete
00:13 with sportier offerings like the Chevy Blazer
00:16 or the Ford Edge?
00:17 When the Venza debuted in 2011,
00:27 it was essentially a Camry station wagon.
00:29 This new one shares its underpinnings with the RAV4,
00:33 but obviously looks quite different.
00:35 And that's what Toyota's trying to do.
00:36 They wanna offer an alternative
00:38 to the traditional boxy SUV
00:41 with something that's more sculpted,
00:43 has a richer interior, and of course, hybrid efficiency.
00:46 Obviously, the Venza looks quite different than the RAV4,
00:51 even though the Venza and the RAV4 hybrid
00:53 are mechanically identical.
00:55 And what Toyota's doing here is
00:57 they wanna really differentiate the two products.
01:00 You know, the RAV4 looks like the 4Runner,
01:02 looks like the Land Cruiser,
01:03 it looks like a blocky SUV that can go off-road,
01:06 whereas the Venza doesn't.
01:08 It's much curvier, it's much swoopier,
01:11 it looks much more like a Lexus.
01:13 And that's what Toyota's trying to do here, right?
01:15 They wanna bring in buyers who are more design-focused,
01:18 who are more upscale, who are wealthier.
01:20 To me, the most surprising thing about the Venza
01:24 is its high-quality interior.
01:26 Design is subjective.
01:27 You might say you like the way the car looks on the outside
01:29 or you don't.
01:30 However, I think almost everybody will agree
01:32 this is a nice cabin.
01:34 There's leather covering almost every surface.
01:37 These seats are great, and I love their use of metal.
01:40 It's both bold and restrained.
01:42 What I mean by that is the design is just really strong,
01:46 but they didn't overdo it.
01:47 They showed some restraint, and that's hard to do.
01:50 Then there's this touchscreen,
01:51 which I think is the best I've ever seen in a Toyota,
01:54 with one really cool feature.
01:55 Check this out.
01:56 Here's the climate controls, right?
01:58 I'm the driver.
01:59 I can't quite reach 'em, so boom.
02:01 Pop it over to my side of the screen.
02:03 Passenger gets warm.
02:04 Boom.
02:05 They pop it back to their side,
02:06 and it's true of everything you can do with a touchscreen.
02:09 Of course, the Venza also supports
02:11 Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
02:14 The big takeaway is that for this segment,
02:17 the Venza has a surprisingly good interior.
02:21 In their top trims, the vehicles that compete
02:24 against the Venza, they all have turbocharged four-cylinders
02:27 or big, thirsty V6s, whereas the Venza,
02:30 it's always a hybrid.
02:32 You get 219 horsepower, which provides decent performance.
02:36 However, you get incredible efficiency.
02:38 Thanks to its 2.5 liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder
02:42 and two electric motors,
02:44 this thing gets 39 miles per gallon combined.
02:48 Not only does that make it best in segment,
02:51 it's so efficient that it can compete
02:53 with smaller hybrid SUVs,
02:55 like the Ford Escape or the Honda CRV.
02:57 When it comes to safety, in terms of crash worthiness,
03:02 the Venza gets five stars.
03:04 However, there is an asterisk.
03:06 On the base model, the headlights are rated as marginal.
03:10 Should you upgrade to the XLE and above,
03:13 then you get LED headlights,
03:14 which then makes the Venza a top safety pick,
03:17 according to the IIHS.
03:19 The Venza is also loaded with all kinds
03:22 of standard active safety features,
03:24 such as lane-keeping assist, emergency braking,
03:28 and adaptive cruise control.
03:29 Let's talk price.
03:33 The base Venza begins at just over $33,500.
03:38 The XLE, sitting next to me, starts at just over $37,000.
03:43 The way this one sits,
03:45 it squeaks under that $40,000 price barrier.
03:50 The Toyota Venza is a little more expensive
03:52 than the vehicles it competes against.
03:53 However, considering that it has standard all-wheel drive,
03:57 a standard hybrid powertrain,
03:58 which provides it with incredible efficiency,
04:01 a design-focused exterior, and a rich interior,
04:04 we feel the Venza is a good value.
04:07 If there's one thing you should take away
04:11 about the Toyota Venza, it's this.
04:13 If a car won't cut it for you,
04:15 if you simply need to sit up high,
04:18 but you still care about efficiency, this is your ride.
04:22 To check out our latest vehicle rankings,
04:25 go to motortrend.com/cars.