The Venza model has been present in the Toyota lineup for a long time. Many experts called it a wonderful car that could become the calling card of a Japanese company. However, this year Venza will be discontinued and will then become available only at online auctions, where wrecked Toyota Camry, Corolla, RAV4, Land Cruiser and other models are also sold. Let’s remember together the history of this wonderful car and try to figure out why it had such a sad end.
What is Venza?
Toyota Venza is a crossover that was created primarily for North America, where it was supposed to compete with analogues from other Japanese brands. It first appeared on sale in 2008 and immediately attracted attention. This five-seater car stood out for its stylish design, good speed characteristics, excellent off-road capabilities and a high level of safety. All these components made the Venza popular in different countries and helped it stay in the Toyota lineup for 16 years.
The Venza is a versatile vehicle. It is equally suitable for young families, older drivers and even teenagers. This became possible due to ease of control, good maneuverability and a high level of safety. According to the latter indicator, Venza has been among the leaders for a decade and a half. In general, this car can be safely called ideal and capable of satisfying the needs of any driver.
Model history
There were 2 main stages in the history of Venza. They coincided with the release and sales of 1st and 2nd generation models. Both versions of the Japanese crossover received useful updates almost every year, constantly improving an already great car.
I generation (2008-2017)
Venza began writing its history in 2008. At this time, it was officially presented at the Detroit Auto Show. At the same time, development of the model has been carried out since 2004. The Venza was based on the FT-SX. This concept car was great in its own right, so there was no doubt about the success of its successor.
The Venza manufacturing process started in 2009. For its crossover, Toyota used the chassis from another legendary Camry model. The first version of the car was equipped with two types of power units. One of them was the 2.7 liter 4-cylinder 1AR-FE engine, which was developed by the company, and the other was the 3.5 liter 6-cylinder 2GR-FE. The first generation Venza used the classic 6-speed AT, which was installed on many Toyota models produced at that time. The car had front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. Thanks to the presence of two options, buyers received a certain freedom of choice, which had a positive effect on the popularity of Venza. An interesting feature of the Toyota crossover is the presence of only one configuration option. At the same time, it had everything drivers needed, from basic options found on most other cars to unusual features unique to models of the Japanese manufacturer.
Venza was originally designed to be a safe car. It received a huge number of elements and protection systems that complemented each other perfectly. During numerous tests, Toyota did not identify any serious safety problems, which was later proven by the owners of this vehicle. The data of the Japanese company was confirmed by various status organizations. For example, NHTSA gave the Venza a maximum of 5 stars in all areas except rollover (4 stars), which is an excellent result. The IIHS also highlighted the safety of Toyota vehicles. They gave the crossover the highest possible ratings and for 3 years they consistently presented the “Top Safety Pick” award.
The first update for Venza came out in 2010. The car was supplemented with a USB connector, the ability to use speakerphone and a new player. Such minor changes were caused by the fact that Toyota did not want to change anything in the excellent crossover, which was sold quite successfully in the US market. In 2012, the updated version of Venza received 3 new trim levels. Two of them were available on all versions of the model, regardless of the choice of various components. At the same time, the third trim level, which was considered premium, was adapted exclusively for a car with a more powerful engine. A few months later, the company began releasing the Venza with a slightly modified appearance. In 2015, Toyota decided to discontinue production of the model for the United States. After 2 years, the export of the crossover to other automobile markets was also stopped.
II generation (2020-2024)
3 years after abandoning the Venza, Toyota decided to revive its unique model. This happened in 2020, when the second generation of the crossover appeared. It was called XU80 and was sold under that name on the Asian and American markets. The official presentation of the car took place at the New York Auto Show.
The II generation Venza, intended for North America, was presented only with a hybrid power unit, while models with 2-2.5 liter gasoline engines were created for Asia. The first variant was designed with an eCVT transmission, and the second – K120. Also an important distinguishing feature was the lower fuel consumption of the model intended for North America. It helped Toyota bring its crossover in terms of fuel efficiency to the same level as similar competitors’ cars.
In 2021, the revived Venza received its first update. This was the addition of an additional configuration option, which included special fog lights. They were intended for driving in unfavorable external conditions, so they became popular in regions with changeable weather. Minor changes have occurred in 2022. In its new version, Venza replaced the familiar infotainment system with a more modern one, and also added one color option for the body. In 2024, it was announced that the production of Venza would be permanently stopped and the beloved model would be replaced by the Crown Signia.
Reasons for discontinuation
Toyota’s North American division recently announced the discontinuation of the popular Venza. This was an unpleasant surprise for many, which ended the successful history of this car. The official reasons for this sad outcome were voiced by the general manager of Toyota’s North American division. According to his statements, the Venza is very similar to the model of the Japanese company Crown Signia. Because of this, it was decided to remove the outdated model from the lineup and replace it with an interesting new product.
Another important reason for stopping the release of Venza was that it and the Crown Signia have a common target audience. If there were both cars in the line, buyers would be divided approximately equally, which would create certain difficulties with the production and further improvement of each of the models. As soon as the Venza disappears from the Toyota lineup, most of its fans will switch their attention to the Crown Signia and will allow the Japanese company to concentrate its attention on the production and further modernization of one car.
In addition to the reasons officially announced by Toyota representatives for discontinuing Venza, there are also unofficial ones. Some experts argue that although this model became popular among buyers, it did not live up to the high expectations of the Japanese company. This version is partially confirmed by statistics. During 2021-2023, about 125 thousand Venza units were sold, which is not bad, but far from a record figure for Toyota. Another unofficial reason many cite is the constant decline in sales of the model. It is not fast, but still every year there is a decrease in the number of cars sold. Toyota hardly likes this trend and they decided to start from scratch with the Crown Signia crossover.
Toyota Venza is a wonderful car that deserves the attention of every driver. It has been present in the Japanese manufacturer’s lineup for many years, but this year its story ends. It turned out to be rich in various events, but its sad end spoiled the overall impression. However, life goes on and this year the Venza will be replaced by the Crown Signia. We hope it will be able to fully replace the popular model and appeal to Toyota fans.
