Toyota Venza Axed
How could a Camry-based crossover fail?
That’s probably what the collective minds at Toyota Motor Sales USA thought when they launched the mid-size utility vehicle back in 2009.
Now, after just one life-cycle the Toyota Venza is being removed from the automaker’s lineup. A rare failure by the Japanese automaker’s US division, the Venza sold 54,000 units in its first full year on sale according to GoodCarBadCar.net and has declined steadily ever since. Sales for 2014 were just shy of the 30,000 unit mark.
Toyota sells that many Camrys in a month.
SEE ALSO: 2015 Ford Edge First Look
Assembly of the Venza at Toyota’s Georgetown, KY plan will cease in June, or at least assembly of models for the US market will, with export models being built until 2017.
The news comes as Toyota begins retooling that plan to manufacturer the Lexus ES – which will become the first made-in-America Lexus model.
Toyota has not said if it will replace the Venza with an additional model. Rival automaker Honda has had lackluster success with its Venza-rival, the Crosstour, while Ford has found continued success with the Edge and has just launched a new model for 2016.
[Source: Automotive News]
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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I'm a 2010 Venza owner, and hate to see it go, but the price of them just kept going up and up. I think the last one I looked at was about $38,000! I guess it's now time to look at the Subarus.
The design of the Venza is boring it looks more like a station wagon than a crossover. I think if Toyota did bring new Venza for 2016 with new design, new engine and a lower price that can complete against the other like the Edge or the Murano the Venza might have a chance of being the best of all.!!