2015 Toyota Venza
By Veeno Dewan

The Toyota Venza five-seater CUV is a roomy, well-equipped family vehicle that, for 2015, the Venza receives such upgrades as: 6.1-inch touchscreen, USB audio input, automatic sound levelizer technology, Bluetooth capability, integrated Sirius XM satellite radio, plus steering wheel-mounted audio and Bluetooth controls.

Interior wise the Venza offers a nicely finished cabin with an ergonomically well- laid out dash and controls. Typical Toyota thoroughness dominates with high quality fabrics and plastics.   Standard features include: 6.1” Touchscreen Display Audio with AM/FM/CD and MP3 with USB Input and Bluetooth® Capability, Backup Camera, Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Keyless Entry and Toyota’s Star Safety System.  The “Redwood Edition” trim package for 2016, featuring a rich, wonderful looking interior with redwood tones and distinctive leather seats.  The Redwood package on the XLE AWD trim  which comes with navigation, special leather seating, heated front seats, a power tailgate, panoramic glass roof, and anti-theft system), and adds a “Redwood” badge on the tailgate. The Redwood Edition Venza is priced at $36,550.

maxresdefaultThe cabin is roomy with five comfortable seats. Despite the Venza’s fastback-styled roofline, there’s plenty of headroom and legroom for four adults. The rest of the cabin is nicely finished and well laid out, with the shift lever, audio system and dual-zone climate controls within easy reach. Cargo room is very good with 1,987 litres of space once the rear seats have been folded flat.

The wagon is comfortable and quiet over distances. The Venza’s available “Active Torque Control” AWD system supplies torque distribution between the front and rear wheels as needed making it ideal for light winter driving. To sum up, the Venza is a stylish, versatile and capable family CUV. But you will have to be quick to buy one as the Venza will be phased out of production in 2017.

Rear+View+6402015 Toyota Venza AWD Limited priced from: $30,265. Redwood Edition as tested -$36,550.