http://blogs.motortrend.com/6226463/new-ca...uick/index.html

2009 Toyota Venza: It's a Buick!
Posted January 14 2008 09:08 AM by Todd Lassa  
Filed under: New Cars, Motor City Blogman, Toyota, Crossovers, Detroit Auto Show  


DETROIT - Toyota describes its 2009 Venza as a vehicle for sedan owners who want to move up and SUV owners who want to downsize. It has the comfort of a Camry, the function of a 4Runner and the luxury of an Avalon. And, Toyota neglected to say, the look of a Buick. Why not? Until the American brand's emerging renaissance, pundits called the Avalon "the world's best Buick." For the Venza's premier, Toyota even copied the Buick Enclave's signature Cocoa bronze paint color.


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Toyota previewed the Venza at the 2005 Detroit show as the FT-SX concept. Motor Trend reported shortly after the FT-SX's unveiling that it will replace the Solara as the lifestyle variant of the Camry lineup. While its side surfacing reminds me of the Enclave, with Toyota's take on the Buick's organic, "fuselage look," the nose and tail are pure Toyota, especially its fattened Camry face (overall height is a very low-SUV/tall-sedan's 63.4 inches). Its rich, two-tone interior also emulates Enclave.

It's not a big, seven-passenger crossover like the Enclave, though (Toyota assiduously avoided calling it a "crossover," as if it had invented something new). Venza is five-passenger only, with an optional power tailgate and a fold-flat second row, for all your Home Depot needs. Toyota also claims sport sedan-like handling.

Venza launches late this year with front- or all-wheel-drive and a 268-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 and six-speed sequential-shift automatic. Towing capacity is 3500 pounds. A new 2.7-liter four (also with the six-speed) will be available shortly after. Both get dual exhausts. The V-6 comes with 20-inch alloys and the four will have 19-inch alloys, the largest wheels available on a Toyota four-banger. 

Perhaps Toyota has heard that Buick is selling way more top-of-the-line Enclave CXLs than expected: Verza will come in only one luxurious trim level, Toyota says, and it'll get such first-time-in-a-Toyota features as an optional panoramic sunroof with seven moveable panels. While it will be a typically "value priced" Toyota, if you want a cheap crossover, you'll have to buy a RAV4. But you wouldn't get the best five-passenger crossover Buick ever built.

Toyota shows us its BEST-EVER copycat effort with the unveiling of the Venza!

This was posted several days ago in the Buick Forum.

Also, in person, the Venza looks nothing like an Enclave.

Aside from the brown paint, I don't see many similarities.

It's more like an imaginative Mercury version of the Ford Edge.

Aside from the brown paint, I don't see many similarities.

Well, no one said it was actually a very good copy.

Also, is this their subtle way of admitting that the new Highlander is boring as hell?

I know I'm late to the party in replying, but this thing looks almost nothing like an Enclave, but rather, alot like a tall camry with Enclave taillights

It's a Camry station wagon..sort of.

It really doesn't look like the Enclave. Maybe some Ford Edge up fron and some sort of Volvo in the taillights, but no Buick.

it's a camry lexus...rx, right?

Its basically a reborn Camry wagon, more luggage room than the sedan, not as tall as the Highlander. And no, I have no idea why it exists.

It is a Toyota Harrier, which is sold in the US as the Lexus RX. The RX is based off of the Camry.

resemblance to lumpy mashed potatoes - the unique styling cue of Toyota vehicles.

I was going to say it is not a Harrier, but it could replace the Harrier in Japan if the RX goes to Lexus exclusively. At the moment, they're not the same vehicles. Note the 4-cylinder truck engine, like the one the GM midsize crossovers will get.

I was going to say it is not a Harrier, but it could replace the Harrier in Japan if the RX goes to Lexus exclusively. At the moment, they're not the same vehicles. Note the 4-cylinder truck engine, like the one the GM midsize crossovers will get.

Allegedly, its a development of the 2.4 car engine, rather than a reuse of the big truck 4...if niche marketing is the future of auto retailing, you'll be seeing alot more of these "why do they need that in the line-up?" type vehicles in the future.