During the Toyota Venza’s initial run (2009-2015), it was essentially a minivan-SUV crossover targeting a niche market. Following the 2015 model year, the Venza took a five-model-year break and returned in 2021 as a more muscular midsize crossover with more traditional proportions. With it still fresh, we expect the 2022 Toyota Venza to be a carryover model.
The original Venza sat in a very narrow niche, and many buyers saw it as too soft. So it’s no shock the new-generation Venza is more muscular with its strong body lines, coupe-like rear glass, bulging backside, and striking taillights. The new-generation Venza isn’t the soccer-parent car its predecessor was. We expect the 2022 Toyota Venza to continue with the same looks.
Inside, the Venza boasts an equally muscular cabin with plenty of bold shapes and angles. It also includes wide air vents, an flared center stack, a stubby gear shifter, a dash-top touchscreen, and plenty of surprisingly upscale materials. We anticipate no changes to the 2022 Toyota Venza’s cabin when it hits showrooms.
The current Toyota Venza has plenty of standard tech for today’s buyers, including an 8-inch touchscreen, LED headlights, wireless smartphone charging, a hands-free liftgate, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and much more. Buyers can also move up in trim levels and add more premium tech like a 12.3-inch touchscreen, navigation, a 10-inch head-up display, a nine-speaker JBL audio system, and even a two-panel electrochromic sunroof. We expect the 2022 Toyota Venza to match all these standard and optional features.
Under its hood, the current Venza features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with three electric motors. Total output rings in at 219 hp. Thanks to its rear motor, the Venza comes standard with electronic all-wheel drive that can ship up 80% of its power to the rear wheels. We expect this powertrain to remain the same in the 2022 Toyota Venza.
The current Toyota Venza is an IIHS Top Safety Pick thanks to its “Good” crash test scores across the board, “Acceptable” optional LED projector headlights, and “Superior”-rated standard automatic emergency braking. Other standard safety gear includes blind-spot monitors, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and road-sign recognition. The 2022 Toyota Venza will likely retain the same safety ratings and features.