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After Highlander, Weilanda and Toyota C-HR SUV models, GAC Toyota ushered in a brand-new SUV model VENZA, Chinese name Wei Sa. At the Guangzhou Auto Show held on November 19 this year, GAC Toyota announced a brand-new model of Wei Sa. According to the latest news, the new car GAC Toyota VENZA Wei Sa will be launched in the first quarter of 2022 next year. At present, Wei Sa has also been pre-sold. The official pre-sale price is 220,000 - 310,000 yuan.

GAC Toyota VENZA Wei Sa and FAW Toyota Harrier Lingfang are sister models to each other. They are positioned as medium-sized SUV and built based on Toyota TNGA-K platform. TNGA-K platform is Toyota's medium-sized car and medium-sized car platform. The eighth generation Camry, Weilanda, Highlander and Lexus NX series all come from this platform. The implication is that the Wei Sa built based on Toyota TNGA-K platform is not an ordinary SUV, but will be officially defined as TNGA high-end luxury SUV. According to official information, GAC Toyota VENZA has launched two power systems, fuel version and dual-engine version, with six models to choose from. In terms of price, the pre-sale price of gasoline version is 220,000 - 270,000 yuan, and the pre-sale price of double-lift version is 250,000 - 310,000 yuan.

In terms of appearance, the new car adopts the latest Toyota family design language, the head is equipped with Toyota's iconic blackened mesh air intake grille, the side of the body is equipped with two-color aluminum alloy wheels, the rear part is equipped with the current popular through-type LED tail lights and bilateral two-out circular exhaust layout, most of the overall styling design is consistent with the sister car Lingfang. In addition, the fuel version and the hybrid version are slightly different in appearance details, among which the blue elements will continue to be added to the front and rear LOGO interior of the hybrid version. In terms of size, the length, width and height of the new car body are 4780×1855×1660mm and the wheelbase is 2690 mm.

In terms of interior decoration, the design style of GAC Toyota VENZA is still Toyota family-style design, providing three-frame steering wheel, suspended central control screen, using a large area of leather cover, the overall is not amazing. In terms of configuration, the new car is equipped with 12.3-inch full LCD meters, 12.3-inch multimedia display, HUD head-up display, streaming media rearview mirror, in addition to adaptive cruise, active braking and lane keeping assist system and many other driving assistance functions.

In terms of power, the new car is divided into two power versions: fuel version and dual-engine version. Among them, the fuel version is equipped with 2.0L naturally aspirated engine matching CVT gearbox, and the maximum engine output is 126kW/207N·m. The hybrid version will feature a 2.5L Atkinson cycle engine plus electric motor combination, matching the E-CVT gearbox, and will also offer an E-FOUR electric four-wheel drive system.

In fact, as early as 2013, GAC Toyota had introduced an SUV model called Wei Sa, but because of its general performance in China and the United States market at that time, it finally had no choice but to withdraw from the market. GAC Toyota has a corresponding model Toyota HARRIER overseas, while the Harrier model was first born in 1997 as the "twin model" of Lexus RX. The first generation Toyota HARRIER was obtained by replacing the first generation Lexus RX. Toyota introduced the first Lexus RX in the United States in 1997, and in the same year Toyota introduced the Lexus RX to the Japanese market and put it on the Toyota logo, which was later renamed HARRIER.

First generation Toyota HARRIER

Similarly, the second generation Toyota HARRIER is also a replacement for the second generation Lexus RX. In fact, the first and second generation Toyota HARRIER are almost the same as Lexus RX, just different brands. Different from the previous second generation, the third generation model is no longer obtained from Lexus RX. The third generation model was launched in 2013 and was rebuilt by Toyota as a new HARRIER model. However, this generation model was not made in China, but introduced into China under the name of American version.

American VENZA

By April 2020, Toyota released the fourth generation HARRIER. Interestingly, the fourth generation HARRIER is called VENZA in the United States, while the domestic version is FAW Toyota Lingfang HARRIER. Therefore, VENZA and HARRIER are actually the same model, but different names are used in different regions.

Looking back on the internal layout of new cars recently announced by GAC Toyota, GAC Toyota Fenglanda and FAW Toyota Karola sharp sister models, the interior layout of the two models is basically the same, both are relatively simple and traditional, you can obviously feel the Toyota family design flavor, and the overall internal design style of GAC Toyota VENZA Wei Sa and FAW Toyota Harrier Lingfang, which are also sister models, is also based on Toyota family style, continuing the overseas version design.

At present, FAW Toyota Lingfang HARRIER, the sister model of the new car, has been launched on the 18th of last month, with a price range of 21.18- 297,800 yuan. Seven configuration models have been launched, with 4 fuel models and 3 double-lift models retained. HARRIER is also based on the overseas version of the Harrier model design, as mentioned above, the two are similar in shape.

Back to the topic of GAC Toyota VENZA, from the official release positioning, the brand-new GAC Toyota VENZA positioning is higher than Weilanda, lower than Highlander, the appearance of the future may be able to fill the A+-class entry medium-sized SUV market gap, and in the competition, the future main competitors should be explorers, Tiguan and crown road and other medium-sized SUV.

At present, GAC Toyota has three SUV models, namely Highlander, Weilanda and Toyota C-HR. GAC Toyota's brand-new medium-sized SUV Toyota Wei Sa and the brand-new compact SUV Fenglan previously announced mean that GAC Toyota has as many as 5 models in SUV market after being launched. Adjusting the SUV field layout of the brand may bring more choices for consumers. Relevant data shows that in the first 10 months of this year, GAC Toyota has accumulated sales volume of 664578 vehicles.

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