2010 TOYOTA VENZA Info. Toyota has unveiled a new vehicle called Venza, which it presents as a crossover sedan and refuses to identify as a station wagon. Incidentally, the latter designation is banned from the vocabulary of American consumers, despite their past fondness for this type of vehicle. Toyota’s semantic and linguistic contortions aside, the Venza can easily be considered a Camry station wagon, since it rests on a modified version of the Camry platform. It also comes with elements originating from the Highlander in addition to its own specially designed parts. Distinguishing the Venza from a classic station wagon are its higher ground clearance and its 19- or 20-inch tires, depending on the model. The Venza is similar in size to the Volvo XC70 and Subaru Outback.The 3.5-litre V6 develops 268 horsepower and 246 pound-feet of torque for acceleration and pickup that are both lively and well felt. This engine is well adapted though a bit raspy on start-up and for a brief period during warm-up. According to Toyota, it uses about one litre per 100 kilometres more fuel than the new, 2.7-litre four-cylinder that’s also available. The latter engine outputs 182 horsepower and 182 pound-feet of torque, which is sufficient for ordinary driving. However, with a load or when driving in hilly terrain, you can feel that the engine is working hard, and fuel consumption may reach V6 proportions. Both these engines are mated with a well-geared, six-speed automatic transmission that functions smoothly at all times. They can also be hooked to an on-demand all-wheel-drive system. The beauty of this system is that it doesn’t wait for a front wheel to slip to send power to the rear wheels. It does it as soon as, and no matter how, the driver accelerates. It can transfer up to 50 percent of torque to the rear wheels, and if no slippage is detected it redirects 100 percent of torque to the front wheels. The vehicle is equipped with a hill-start feature that holds it in place for a few seconds in an incline. click here
