The Toyota Venza 2021 Interior – Refined Japanese Luxury (Detailed Review)
When most people think of the Toyota Venza, they think of a comfortable and practical car. While the exterior of the car has been highly anticipated, the interior has not received as much attention. However, I am here to give you a detailed review of what to expect from the inside of the new Venza, so you can see for yourself what makes this car so special.
The Toyota Venza 2021 interior is characterized by top-notch materials, loads of tech, a substantial list of comfort and convenience features, and a spacious layout. Cargo space is limited, and passenger space is less than some rivals, but it’s still a wonderful place to pass the time.
Shopping in the mid-size SUV segment can leave you spoiled for choice – if you narrow the field to a hybrid crossover, there’s the newly-launched Toyota Venza to consider. Sharing a platform with the uber-popular RAV4, the Venza has a lot to live up to. Let’s see how the interior compares.
Detailed Review Of The Toyota Venza 2021 Interior – Refined Japanese Luxury
What do you get when a renowned automaker decides to relaunch a historic nameplate with a hybrid powertrain and all the comforts ideal for a Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV)? You get the 2021 Toyota Venza. The CUV is all-new for the 2021 model year, available in three trims that are generously outfitted with features from even the base model.
Designed to ferry five passengers in comfort, the Toyota Venza 2021 interior offers something that punches well above its weight in the segment. Bordering on Lexus-like levels of class and style, the Venza has a lot to offer. Let’s have a look at what makes the interior so compelling.
The New Toyota Venza Interior Dimensions And Passenger Space
The Toyota Venza 2021 interior is a two-row crossover with a seating capacity for five. Much like the RAV4 which it’s based on, the Venza offers almost 41 inches of legroom for front passengers, and just under 38 inches for those in the back row. This is sufficient for most on even longer journeys. Toyota Venza 2021 interior dimensions include a headroom measurement of 38.6 inches in the front and around 38 inches in the rear. This drops a little if you opt for a Toyota Venza 2021 interior with a sunroof.
The driver’s seat comes with eight-way power adjustment and lumbar support from the base model, which allows even the tallest driver to find the optimal driving position. On the top-end model, the front passenger gets four-way power adjustment, too.
As for the littlest passengers, all 2021 Toyota Venza models come with LATCH child seat anchors and tethers on the outboard rear seats. It’s worth noting that the IIHS awards the highest possible accolade to the Venza for ease of use when ensuring your children are kept safe.
Cargo Space And In-Cabin Storage
The 2021 Toyota Venza may share some bones with the RAV4, but it’s a little longer overall – where the Venza’s total length comes in at 186.6 inches, the RAV4 is a few inches shorter. Sadly, this extra length doesn’t translate to a more extensive cargo hold; you have 28.8 cubic feet of trunk volume behind the back seats. If you need to load more, fold down the 60/40-split-folding back seats for a total of 55.1 cubes.
This is slightly less than other CUVs in the mid-size segment but is still enough for medium-sized families’ bags, groceries, or sports kit. Rivals – and even other SUVs from within the Toyota stable –offer more, but that doesn’t mean the Toyota Venza 2021 interior isn’t practical.
And, for added convenience, all modes feature a height-adjustable, hands-free power liftgate with jam protection. The cargo area has a standard tonneau cover, too.
As for space to store smaller items, the Venza provides a center console with a sliding cover that houses a storage compartment and a removable utility tray. There are also four bottle holders and four cup holders conveniently located throughout the cabin – two in the rear center armrest.
Seating And Upholstery
The Toyota Venza 2021 interior seats five, and although entry-level models are fitted with cloth-covered seats, there is a high-rent feel to the fabric that doesn’t detract from the overall classy look of the cabin. Mid-spec models use SofTex leatherette on the bolsters, and the range-topper comes with perforated SofTex entirely. 2021 Toyota Venza interior colors range from Black to Boulder, or a combination of Black and Java.
All models come with a leather-wrapped shift lever and steering wheel, and the dashboard is soft-touch material that goes a long way to contributing to the upper-class appearance. You even get wood-grain accents on the center stack in the top-end Limited trim. The dashboard is trimmed in color-keyed piping with metal ends on the upper grades.
Tech And Audio
It’s almost a given that a car featuring a high-tech hybrid powertrain would be equally well kitted out with technological elements in the cabin. To this end, there is a host of features that cater to the driver and passenger, including a 4.2-inch color LCD multi-info display on the base models, which grows to a seven-inch display on upper trims.
Toyota Venza 2021 interior features include wireless charging for your smartphone across the range, and there are four USV charging ports – two in the front and two in the rear. A universal garage remote is standard from the middle of the range.
Infotainment comprises an eight-inch touchscreen display on the two base models, while the upper trim gets a 12.3-inch display with touch capability. Both systems have AM/FM/HD radio, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, Bluetooth streaming, and SiriusXM. The basic sound system is a six-speaker setup, but the Limited variant features a premium nine-speaker JBL unit.
Toyota Venza On-Board Safety
Safety tech is comprehensive, which we’ve come to expect from the brand. The tech that assists the driver includes a backup camera with projected path and dynamic gridlines, pre-collision warning – which also features pedestrian detection – and road sign assist are bolstered by radar-based cruise control, lane departure, and lane tracing assist with steering assist.
Blind-spot monitoring comes standard, too, and includes rear cross-traffic alert. Upper-spec trims add front and rear parking assist and an intelligent clearance sonar. A 10-inch color head-up display can be added to the top-spec Limited model, while a 360-degree camera is included as standard.
Comfort And Convenience
The automaker has included dual-zone climate control with a dust and pollen filter across the range to keep things comfortable in the cabin. Access to the cabin is by way of the Smart Key System on front doors, with a push-button start on all models. All Toyota Venza 2021 interior steering wheels throughout the range have controls for everything from Bluetooth, phone, and cruise control to audio.
A heated steering wheel is standard on top-end models, while mid-range derivatives have front seat heating included. One step up to the fully-loaded model gives you heating and ventilation up front
Overall Impressions
The popularity of SUVs and crossovers isn’t waning in the United States, and pairing it with a hybrid powertrain, loads of on-board tech, and a plush interior is a sure-fire way to get it noticed. However, getting closer to premium vehicle quality means premium vehicle pricing, right?
Toyota offers the Venza at a relatively reasonable price tag, considering the electronic magic under the hood. Base models have a starting MSRP of $36,470, while mid-spec XLE models cost $36k. The Limited will set you back just a few hundred dollars short of $40k, without options and licensing fees. This isn’t overly expensive for a high-class hybrid, in our books.
Verdict On The Toyota Venza 2021 Interior
Buying a car is a subjective affair. Whether you’re shopping for something that feeds into your identity as a family-oriented person or whether it’s simply a utility vehicle meant to carry cargo and people will vastly impact how you feel about the Venza.
There’s lots that this CUV pulls off, not the least of which is a great interior, lots of standard safety features, and plush materials that border on a much more premium vehicle. Sure, cargo space isn’t perfect, but if you’re looking for something in the segment that is more comfortable than practical, you need not look further than the Toyota Venza 2021 interior.
