The Venza nameplate has made a return to Toyota’s stable after a five-year hiatus. The new Venza is a two-row SUV that slots between the RAV4 and the Highlander in the company’s lineup. This SUV is essentially a rebadged Harrier that’s sold in the Japanese market. To make it stand out from the competition and offer a fuel-efficient SUV to the customers, the Venza will be offered as a hybrid-only SUV.

But, is this enough to waive off the competition in the thickly stacked segment where almost every automaker has a presence? Here’s how the Venza stands when pit against the Ford Edge, Chevy Blazer, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Honda Passport, and the Nissan Murano.

Toyota Venza Performance Comparison

It will be offered as a hybrid-only model and comes with a single drivetrain option - a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder mill that churns out 219 ponies. However, it is assisted with three electric motors – two at the front and one on the rear axle. In terms of pure power, the Venza is not the most powerful one out there. The Ford Edge with the 2.7-liter, V-6 mill takes the cake with 335 ponies.

To save the Venza some grace, I’ll point out that the Chevy Blazer, Kia Sorento, and Hyundai Santa Fe in their four-cylinder ‘fuel economy-conscious’ guises make less power. Toyota hasn’t released the torque figures for this new SUV.

This is significantly higher than all the other SUVs which average around 22-23 mpg. It is the biggest selling point for the Venza and Toyota will hope all of its shortcomings (if there are any) will be overlooked in favor of the fuel economy.

Toyota Venza Interior Comparison

On the inside, you can expect the Venza to be as spacious as the RAV4. The wheelbase measures the same 105.9 inches as the RAV4, but the Venza is over five inches longer than the former. The cargo area measures 36 cubic feet, which falls somewhere in between when compared to the rivals.

This could’ve been a lot better, but we suspect the batteries to have eaten into the space. The Honda Passport tops the list in this department. Depending on the rear seat position, you can have up to 50.5 cubic-feet of cargo space at your disposal.

In terms of technology, the Venza beats the competition. While all the other companies offer eight-inch screens on their vehicles, some even seven-inch screens on the base trims, the Venza comes with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system in its top trim. The system also stands out because of its Amazon Alexa compatibility which isn’t available on any other SUV. The fact that this is coming from a brand that didn’t offer Apple CarPlay for the longest time makes this news even better.

In the range-topping trim, you get stuff like a digital rearview mirror, a 10-inch head-up display, and a panoramic glass roof with a ‘frost control’ feature that can switch between opaque and transparent.

Looking Forward: Will the Toyota Venza Be a Better Buy?

But, purely from the competition’s point-of-view, a starting price of $32,000, give or take a thousand bucks, will be the sweet spot. The Venza has a slight edge, thanks to the efficient powertrain and the feature-loaded cabin, but it needs to be in line with the rivals’ pricing so that it isn’t dead on arrival.

However, it can’t be dangerously close to the RAV4, which starts at $25,850. The Highlander starts at $34,600, but the risk of cannibalization here is less since it is a three-row SUV and will cater to a different set of customers. Also, the Highlander Hybrid starts at $38,200, which is a lot of moolah assuming the Venza will sell for under $35,000.

Here are the starting prices of the other SUVs in the segment:

Ford Edge - $31,100

Chevy Blazer - $28,800

Hyundai Santa Fe - $26,125

Kia Sorento - $26,900

Honda Passport - $33,110

Nissan Murano - $31,350

Final Thoughts

The automaker said that it is expecting to sell around 50,000 copies annually. If Toyota can achieve it in the first year itself, the Venza will be a runaway success. It has the potential to become the best-seller, but it all boils down to the pricing; and, of course, the real-world driving experience. Not that it matters right now, but in the Venza’s first stint that lasted eight years, Toyota sold over 50,000 examples just once. The 2021 Toyota Venza will reach the dealerships in August 2020.