Photo: Toyota
Last month, Toyota unveiled the all-new 2021 Venza for the American market. As a practical SUV, it looked like it would fit the range well, but we immediately recognized that the Venza now felt like a Japanese market model.
Not only is it only going to be offered with a relatively small hybrid engine, but it also had understated design, a bit like an old Lexus RX. And that's because the Venza is actually just a re-badged Toyota Harrier offered for many years as their flavor of Lexus luxury.
Today, the local Harrier got spruced up. And given how Toyota launches worked in the past, we expect at least some of these goodies to make their way to the Venza, possibly as soon as SEMA.
TRD has released a full body kit under the GR brand. This brings aggressive styling changes to the Venza which include much more pronounced spoilers, side skirts and a rear diffuser.
The American Venza might especially benefit from the black TRD wheels and the quad exhausts, which look like they were pulled off the Jaguar F-Type R. We're not sure America is ready for something like this. Some small performance boosters are also offered, namely new sway bars from Yamaha.
Like any factory customization project, it also comes with some cheap-feeling accessories. For example, you can have GR-badged carpets, fake carbon number plate holders, and wind deflectors over the windows. As if anybody in Japan drives a hybrid SUV at a speed where buffering is a problem!
The 2021 Venza hasn't been priced yet, but should slot between the $26,000 RAV4 and the $35,000 Highlander. Its only available engine is the 2.5-liter hybrid drive that promises to return 40 miles per gallon.
Also in Japan, the Modellista in-house tuning brand now offers a separate body kit for the Harrier. It's called the "Gran Blaze Style" and you can check it out at the end of the photo gallery.
Today, the local Harrier got spruced up. And given how Toyota launches worked in the past, we expect at least some of these goodies to make their way to the Venza, possibly as soon as SEMA.
TRD has released a full body kit under the GR brand. This brings aggressive styling changes to the Venza which include much more pronounced spoilers, side skirts and a rear diffuser.
The American Venza might especially benefit from the black TRD wheels and the quad exhausts, which look like they were pulled off the Jaguar F-Type R. We're not sure America is ready for something like this. Some small performance boosters are also offered, namely new sway bars from Yamaha.
Like any factory customization project, it also comes with some cheap-feeling accessories. For example, you can have GR-badged carpets, fake carbon number plate holders, and wind deflectors over the windows. As if anybody in Japan drives a hybrid SUV at a speed where buffering is a problem!
The 2021 Venza hasn't been priced yet, but should slot between the $26,000 RAV4 and the $35,000 Highlander. Its only available engine is the 2.5-liter hybrid drive that promises to return 40 miles per gallon.
Also in Japan, the Modellista in-house tuning brand now offers a separate body kit for the Harrier. It's called the "Gran Blaze Style" and you can check it out at the end of the photo gallery.
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