Designers aim at young and active
Gregory Piatt / Special to The Detroit News
Toyota Motor Corp. -- going even deeper with its U.S. product offensive -- introduced a crossover sedan Monday that the automaker thinks will be ideal for active baby boomers and young couples with small families.
The 2009 Venza will be sold exclusively in the North American market.
"The all-new Venza was developed as a vehicle that combines the styling, comfort and fun-to-drive performance elements of a five-passenger sedan with the surprising utility of an SUV," said Bob Carter, Toyota's group vice president and general manager.
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The new crossover is based on the FT-SX concept introduced three years ago. It is expected to go on sale in late 2008.
The Venza was engineered at Toyota's technical center in Ann Arbor and designed at Toyota's Calty design studios in Newport Beach, Calif., and Ann Arbor. It will be assembled in Georgetown, Ky.
Toyota is battling General Motors Corp. to become the world's top auto company, ranked by sales. Toyota sold 9.37 million vehicles worldwide last year. GM has said it expects to sell about 9.3 million vehicles -- marking its second-best year ever -- and will release final results next week.
All of GM's sales growth is concentrated overseas.
Toyota's U.S. sales advanced 3.2 percent last year, even as overall industry demand shrank.
Niche segments targeted
The Venza is Toyota's latest attempt to exploit its vast financial and engineering resources to move beyond its full-volume lineup -- from subcompacts to full-size trucks and SUVs -- and target niche segments.
David Cole, chairman of the Center of Automotive Research, called the Venza a niche product that is cost effective to develop because it uses common parts and components from other Toyota vehicles.
"It makes sense for Toyota to build it" at a lean and flexible manufacturing plant that has excess capacity, Cole said.
"If they build it in low volume with other vehicles at the plant, they win."
But Cole said the look of "the Venza and other crossovers are running into each other."
The focus of the Venza design team was to create a crossover vehicle that shifted away from the more traditional SUV styling themes that tend to dominate the segment, the automaker said.
Toyota focused on a sedan concept with a wide stance but equipped it with SUV attributes such as cargo space, towing capability and room for five passengers.
Venza will be available in front- and all-wheel drive with power generated by an optional 3.5-liter V-6 engine or a standard new 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine. Both engines will have a six-speed sequential-shift electronically controlled automatic transmission.
A-BAT concept is hybrid
Toyota is also showing a concept vehicle that harkens back to its compact pickup roots.
But the A-BAT concept also is a hybrid that can use solar panels to convert sunlight into power. The vehicle is powered by a four-cylinder gas engine and equipped with Toyota's hybrid synergy drive.
The concept has crisp lines and a trapezoidal profile.
Trapezoid studied
"We studied the 'trapezoid' silhouette from the side profile of the Toyota Prius and applied it to create an entirely new truck image," said Matt Sperling, Toyota's creative designer.
The bed is defined by the C-pillar and is separated from the cab to allow it to stand out from the rest of the profile, Sperling added.
"The image of a NATO all-terrain military truck inspired us to keep the occupants as far forward as possible to maximize rear bed capacity in this compact package," Sperling said.
Gregory Piatt is a Metro Detroit freelance writer.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080115/AUTO04/801150371/1364
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