2009 Toyota Venza for North America in production

Japanese auto giant Toyota has reportedly kick started production of its new five-passenger Toyota Venza.

The Toyota Venza will retail at $25,975 for a four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive model, Toyota said. The V6 engine, all-wheel drive model will cost $29,250.

Photo: Toyota Venza

The vehicle will hit dealer showrooms by mid-December 2008.

The Toyota Venza is being built at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky’s Georgetown assembly plant. The Kentucky plant is Toyota’s largest in North America employing about 7,000 workers and has annual capacity of 500,000 engines and vehicles. It has the capacity to build about 70,000 Venzas on an year-on-year basis and will be readied on the same assembly line as the Camry, Camry Hybrid, and Solara convertible.

The Toyota Venza is being manufactured exclusively for North America.

Toyota has said that all aspects of Venza’s engineering and design were targeted specifically for the North American market. The Toyota Venza will be sold only in the North American region. Toyota currently produces 11 vehicles in North America, including the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Matrix, Sienna, Solara, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra, Venza and the Lexus RX350.

The Toyota Venza, which has been engineered at the Toyota Technical Centre in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is being designed at Toyota’s Calty Design Studios in Newport Beach, California and Ann Arbor, the company has said.

Meanwhile, the officials at the Kentucky-based Toyota Motor Manufacturing are celebrating the opportunity they have been bestowed with. According to one of them, for Toyota to select Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, as the production site is a real tribute to the entire team.

With the Venza getting ready fast at the Kentucky facility, the car maker is looking at adding to its vicinity companies who would supply parts for the Venza including seats and glass components.