The Venza’s second generation was unveiled online in April 2020 due to the world COVID-19 pandemic and went on sales in June.
While the first generation was more of a minivan, related to the Camry, the second generation took a different approach and was tied closely to the Highlander SUV. But it wasn’t a completely new vehicle. It was a Japanese Toyota Harrier that landed on the U.S. Soil.

Regardless of who it was related to or where it came from, the Venza featured an advanced design for its era. The slim headlights placed on top of the front fascia and a vast grille integrated into the bumper were the main differences compared to the general trend in automotive design. The SUV-coupe stance, with a sloped-back and raised rear shoulders over the quarter panels, giving the car a dynamic look.

More features followed inside the car, where a classic, analog instrument cluster was paired to a big, 12.5” touch-screen display mounted on top of the center stack. The standard version featured an 8” display. The rest of the dashboard featured a minimalist design, with only a line that visually divided it into an upper and lower area. On the center console, the carmaker installed only the gear-selector and two cup-holders. The rear room was bigger than the one offered on the Toyota C-HR, which was good news.

Under the hood, Toyota installed a single drivetrain. The 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle gasoline engine paired with an electric motor and both connected to a CVT gearbox. It was the same powerplant from the Rav4 Hybrid or the Lexus NX. All versions featured an all-wheel-drive system.