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First-Generation Toyota Venza Vs. All-New 2021 Toyota Venza
There’s a new Toyota model in the lineup, and it goes by the name Venza. Drivers with strong memories may recall that up until about six years ago, there was already a vehicle called the Toyota Venza.
If you’re able to recall the details of that previous model, a look at the new Venza will likely reveal a machine that is clearly much different than the one that met its end back in 2015. As a result, customers hailing from the Janesville region have been asking our team here at Hesser Toyota: how do the new and old Toyota Venza models compare to one another?
While the first-generation Toyota Venza was a crossover SUV/station wagon combination based on Toyota Camry underpinnings and designed specifically for the U.S. market, the all-new 2021 Toyota Venza is a hybrid-only adaptation of a Japanese Toyota crossover SUV model known as the Harrier. As a result, these two models are fairly different from one another, sharing not much more than the name.
What was the old Toyota Venza?
The first-generation Toyota Venza was initially released in the U.S. for the 2009 model year and ran until the 2015 model year. It only consisted of one generation, though it received a mid-cycle refresh for 2013.
The first-generation Toyota Venza shared underpinnings with the Toyota Camry, leading some to see it as the return of the Toyota Camry station wagon. In fact, many noted that it wasn’t clear whether the first-generation Venza was a crossover SUV or station wagon. Toyota themselves described it as blending the “styling and comfort of a passenger car with the flexibility of a sport utility vehicle.”
What is the new Toyota Venza?
While the first-generation Toyota Venza was designed specifically for (and built in) North America, the second-generation Venza is actually a rebadged incarnation of the Toyota Harrier, a Japanese-market crossover SUV. The Harrier has a history dating back to 1997; early Harriers were offered in the U.S. market under until 2009.
The new 2021 Toyota Venza, unlike both the Harrier and the first gen Venza, is only available with a hybrid powertrain. Check out other differences (and similarities) between the base LE trim level of the 2021 and 2015 Toyota Venza models in the table below!
| 2015 Toyota Venza LE | Vs. | 2021 Toyota Venza LE |
| $29,065 | Starting MSRP | $32,570 |
| Five | Seating Capacity | Five |
| 2.7-liter 4-cylinder gas engine | Engine | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder gas/electric hybrid engine |
| 23 mpg | Fuel Economy (city and hwy combined) | 39 mpg |
| Front-Wheel Drive | Drivetrain | All-Wheel Drive |
| 70.2 cubic feet | Maximum Cargo Volume | 55.1 cubic feet |