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2023 Toyota Venza Nightshade Review
in Mesa, AZ
New Toyota Venza Nightshade Review | 2023 Venza Nightshade
The 2023 Toyota Venza Nightshade is certainly the hybrid with the most style. MotorTrend praises this hybrid-only CUV for its premium feel and great gas mileage. The editors note that the Nightshade edition is meant to appeal to young, savvy shoppers.
MotorBiscuit praises this new Venza as sleek and confident. Indeed the midsize SUV has taken on a dark new look that certainly doesn’t seem like hybrids that have gone before it.
From exterior colors to fuel efficiency, this review offers a look at the many features and details of this Toyota hybrid. Feel free to scroll to the subjects that interest you most as a driver or owner.
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Venza Nightshade Exterior Colors and Style
In keeping with their above-class look, the Venza Nightshade comes in three distinctive colors. This gives shoppers a choice of Wind Chill Pearl or Celestial Black, or they can go for more flash with an awesome Ruby Flare Red. The front grille black trim and LED fog lamps change the look up front.
The black mirror caps, door handles, glossy dark wheels, and black shark fin antenna change the way the Venza looks from the side. You can also ask for black roof rails. The rear is switched up with the special badging and black rocker panels.
Shoppers may add the beautiful Star Gaze panoramic roof. This large fixed glass has a power sunshade and on/off controls. With its ability to show the sky or to simply let in light with its frosted setting, this feature has been very popular on the 2022 Toyota Venza.
Interior Colors, Style, and Seating
With spacious seating for five, the Venza Nightshade is a bigger hybrid crossover. The seats are trimmed in ActiveX upholstery. The 8-way power-adjustable driver’s chair has memory functions.
The cockpit in this midsize SUV is enhanced by a soft-touch dashboard and a center console with ambient lighting. Footwells and doorsills are also illuminated.
With a center armrest, cupholders, and dedicated air conditioning vents, the back row can be as comfortable as the first. Also, two 2.1 AMP ports face the back row, and there are two USB charge ports up front.
Incredibly Cool Climate Controls
When you choose the Venza Hybrid, you’ll get dual zone climate controls to keep the air flowing on our hottest days. Rear vents ensure that your back row occupants are cool.
The S-Flow AC system actually knows which seats are occupied, and it can adjust the flow accordingly. The smart system has Intelligent Touch controls for a faster response to your commands. It is controlled through the 12.3-inch touch screen.
The Nightshade also offers ventilated seats in addition to heated seats. Phoenix area drivers love the ability to cool the front seats. The remote starter lets you start the AC before you get to the car.
Specifications and Utility
Interior volume is 127.1 cubic feet with 98.3 cubes for passengers. The back row passengers enjoy almost 38 inches of legroom. The cargo area measures 28.8 cubic feet.
The Venza Nightshade is well equipped for utility. The power liftgate is a hands-free and height-adjustable feature that has jam protection for safety. The rear seat can split or fold completely to increase available space to 55 cubic feet.
Ground clearance is 7.68 inches. Towing is not recommended as it is on the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
Hybrid Performance
Toyota combines the power of a Dynamic Force 4-cylinder engine with an electric motor and hybrid battery. This system generates 219 horsepower overall. The front motor generates 118 horsepower while the rear motor generates 54 horsepower. A 252V battery pack stores energy to assist every drive.
Fuel economy is a remarkable 37 mpg on the highway and an even better 40 mpg in the city, according to EPA ratings. According to the Department of Energy fuel calculator, the Venza hybrid saves drivers $4,000 or more over five years.
For aerodynamics, the Venza Nightshade has special underbody panels, an integrated rear spoiler, and a special side garnish. It also has active grille shutters to control air flow as needed either for cooling or for better aerodynamics.
All Wheel Drive
All-wheel drive is standard on all Venza hybrids, including the Nightshade. This electronic feature doesn’t add much weight to the package, but it performs the functions that make all-wheel drive so useful.
There’s less to fear from bad weather, and there’s more possible adventure when the road turns to grass or gravel. Even better, the ability of this vehicle to switch its front-wheel drive to the rear wheels at a rate of up to 80 percent couldn’t be done on a “normal” gas-powered hybrid.
In fact, Motor Trend writes that it has “excellent acceleration from a dead stop” due to the way its electric motor provides driving force to the rear wheels. By reducing understeer, the same motor gives the hybrid much more cornering agility than one expects from a midsize SUV.
Technology
For easy viewing, the driver display is a 7-inch screen. The touchscreen is an 8-inch Audio Plus model with HD radio. Toyota provides connectivity via Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, and available SiriusXM. You can step up to the navigation system for the best in maps, turn-by-turn directions, and traffic information.
The Qi-compatible wireless smartphone charging pad is standard. In addition to the Smart Key for easy entry to any door or the liftgate, the driver receives a one-year trial to the Remote Connect system.
An 8-speaker system provides excellent sound. However, the JBL Premium Audio system is even better with its rear subwoofer and nine speakers. Sharpening every note, there is a 12 channel 1,200 watt amplifier.
Safety and Driver Assistance
Eight airbags blanket the cabin’s occupants in case of an accident. These hybrid vehicles earned the five star safety rating in 2022.
Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 includes important standards to help the driver avoid trouble. Pedestrian detection is included in the pre-collision system which can detect slowing cars and warn the driver to slow down. It can also trigger an autobrake if needed.
Road Sign Assist lets the driver know if the speed limit is changing. The lane steering assist can warn the driver and help straighten the SUV. Lane Tracing Assist is an even more active feature that can work with the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control.
Toyota has also included its blind spot monitor to help the driver avoid side collisions. The rear parking assist offers front and rear automatic braking during a parking procedure.
Extra Safety Aids
Automatic high beams raise and lower light levels to assist the driver at night. The side mirrors have puddle lights to help people climb in and out safely. The driver’s side mirror has an auto-fold feature. The standard parking brake is an electric system with Brake Hold.
Like most Toyotas today, the Venza Nightshade comes with a one-year trial subscription to Safety Connect. This includes automatic collision notifications as well as a button to summon emergency or roadside assistance.
If you want to try out the many different driver assistance systems and excellent dash technology on the Toyota Venza Nightshade, you should come to our dealership for a test drive!