TOYOTA VENZA V6 FWD

There are cars, there are trucks, there are SUVs, and there are crossovers.

And then there’s the Venza.

This slick new vehicle from Toyota is, according to the company, 70 percent car and 30 percent truck. Don’t ask me which parts are which.

I can tell you that Venza is built on the Camry platform at the Toyota plant in Georgetown, Ky., that it seats five inside a roomy and comfortable cabin, rides and handles like a good sedan, and has the desirable utilitarian features of an SUV, including 60/40 one-touch fold-down rear seats.

Venza’s ride height is higher than a car’s, lower than an SUV’s. So, you have better visibility behind the wheel than you would with a car, but can get into and out of the vehicle more easily than you could with an SUV.

The standard engine for Venza is a 2.7-liter four-cylinder with 182 horsepower and 182 lb-ft of torque. A V6 is available, bumping horsepower to 268 and torque to 246.

Both engines are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, and offered in front-wheel or all-wheel drive configuration.

EPA fuel economy ratings for the four-cylinder are 21/29 mpg with FWD, and 20/28 with AWD. The V6 is rated at 19/26 and 18/25.

Nineteen-inch, 10-spoke aluminum alloy wheels are standard on four-cylinder models; the V6 comes with 20-inchers that have five spokes.

Standard safety equipment includes anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, vehicle stability control, traction control, and brake assist. For drivers who don’t want the car doing all the deciding, there’s a cutoff switch for the stability and traction control.

Hill-start assist control is also a standard feature. It holds the Venza in place when stopped on a steep hill by momentarily putting pressure on the brakes, to avoid rollback.

The airbag count totals seven, including a driver’s knee airbag, front seat-mounted side airbags, and front and rear roll-sensing side curtain airbags.

Venza comes in one trim level, standardly outfitted with tinted glass on the rear side and back windows, integrated fog lamps, air conditioning, outside temperature readout, driver information center, power windows and door locks, remote keyless entry, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, a rear cargo cover, and a six-speaker audio system with six-disc CD changer, integrated satellite radio, and MP3/WMA playback capability.

Among the many available options are a panoramic glass roof with a tilt and slide front moonroof, a voice-activated touch-screen navigation system, rear-seat entertainment system, and audio system upgrades. There are also quite a few pet accessories available to make taking your dog for car rides easier, cleaner and safer.

My tester was a V6 with FWD, optioned with, among other things, a premium JBL sound system, a backup camera and anti-theft system, and a Comfort Package adding leather seats, which this vegetarian would rather not have, but also things she does like, such as multi-stage front seat heaters, foldable power and heated outside mirrors, and a windshield wiper de-icer.

The V6 packs punch — always nice when you need it — but I’ve driven the four-cylinder version and it’s no embarrassment. The significant difference in fuel economy between it and the V6 might make it a best buy for many people.