Last week, MAMA hosted a MAMA eMeet with Toyota to review key highlights of the all-new 2021 Toyota Venza. Ryan Matsumoto, Toyota’s vehicle marketing and communications planner, led the product presentation and fielded live questions from MAMA members.

According to Matsumoto, the Venza raises the standard of what an urban crossover should be. The newest hybrid in Toyota’s lineup, the Venza offers tech, performance, design and standard all-wheel-drive – features that pack a powerful punch and that Toyota hopes will help the vehicle stand out from its competitors. Positioned as the “ultimate urban crossover,” the Venza offers versatility and distinction with a “quiet confidence.”

The Venza slots between the RAV4 and Highlander in size, and its starting prices range between $32-$40K. Four option packages will be available to best suit customer needs, including:

• SofTex Package (XLE)
• Premium Audio
• Advanced Technology Package
• StarGaze Fixed Panoramic Roof

The Venza’s exterior styling is sleek and clean, with dramatic touches such as a full-width LED taillight and, on XLE and Limited models, a full-width center high-mounted stoplight as well. Matsumoto noted the thin taillamps are a fan favorite of the Venza’s design. Exterior colors offered are: Celestial Black, Black, Coastal Gray Metallic, Blueprint, Ruby Flare Pearl, Blizzard Pearl and Titanium Glow.

Inside, Toyota took a minimalist approach with Venza’s design, adding soft-touch materials that express refinement and elegance. Most importantly, Toyota is proud of its first StarGaze fixed panoramic sunroof, which uses electrochromic technology to enable the driver to switch from clear glass to a “frosted” translucent mode at the touch of a button. This is a brand-first, initially appearing on the Venza.

On the tech side of things, Venza comes equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen for LE and XLE models; a 12.3-inch touchscreen is optional on XLE and standard on the line-topping Limited trim. In terms of safety, Venza comes standard Toyota’s Safety Sense 2.0, the brand’s newest advanced active safety package, which includes lane tracing assist, full-speed range dynamic radar cruise control, pre-collision system with pedestrian and bicyclist detection, lane departure alert, automatic high beams and road sign assist.

In terms of cargo space, the Venza offers 28.8 cubic feet of storage behind the rear seats, and 74.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. It also comes with four USB charge ports, two in the front and two in the rear, for those who need a device charge on-the-go.

Toyota says Venza’s fuel economy is industry-leading; all trim levels are EPA-rated at 40 mpg city, 37 mpg highway and 39 mpg combined.

Venza is shipping now and is expected to hit dealerships early next month.

The next MAMA eMeet is scheduled with Cadillac for Tuesday, Sept. 1, from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. CDT via Zoom. Register via the website or contact webmaster@mamaonline.org.