As GM’s FastLane and GMNext blogs have demonstrated, the U.S. automobile industry has fully embraced the concept of blogging– as press release. Toyota, of course, has entered the e-fray. Their Open Road blog may do little (as in nothing) to stretch the boundaries of Web 2.0-itude, but it offers the usual insight into the corporate culture from which it sprang. ToMoCo’s plugging the new Venza crossover, designed to fill the gaping hole in their lineup between the Camry, RAV4, Highlander, FJ Cruiser, 4Runner and Sienna. Into the depths we descend…
As you might expect, we keep close track of the search terms and key words that people use to get onto the Open Road.
You're shitting me.
You may be interested to learn that the Number 1 search word is "Venza."
If "Venza" is the number one search word bringing people to the Open Road blog, then you're not managing your website correctly. When people search for Venza, you should be sending them directly to the Venza microsite, not to the lame "Open Road Blog."
You remember Venza, right?
Honestly, I try not to. There are already plenty of crossovers out there.
It's a stylish car
Uh, if you say so. I'd go with "vehicle-ish vehicle." But we've already discussed the weird styling.
that was designed
by a monkey?
to capture the best characteristics of both the roomy SUV and the efficient sedan.
Like a car, but with a hatch on the back. We could call it a "hatch back." Or maybe station wagon.
But the worst part about the Venza is that the exterior is bigger than it needed to be. A sedan, wagon, or hatch can be just as roomy as an SUV. It's the raised ride height that they have brought in from an SUV here, and they should be up front about it. There are benefits to it – SUVs can be easier to step into from the ground. But it also trades off a huge part of the efficiency, in size and weight.
Just sayin’…
We unveiled the Venza in January at the Detroit Auto Show, and we posted it here on Open Road on January 15.
Please come Monday for the next meeting of History 204: Recent Toyota Marketing
You can go to our Jan. 15 post by clicking here.
You're on the Internet. You probably love five month-old news.
Now the real deal is coming in a few months, and since there's been so much interest,
Bullshit. This isn't the Camaro or the new Camry or a new Evo.
we wanted to provide a way for you to see the vehicle, and to learn more about it.
It's a public service, really. Thank you notes can be sent to: Toyota HQ, Snorefest, Ohio. 11101.
It's the Venza minisite at Toyota.com, which you can access by clicking here.
We did a press release a week or so ago, but why not plug it again?
What you'll find when you get there include, naturally, photos of the car.
I'd post them here, but then you wouldn't visit the microsite. Go to the microsite. It's like a site, but micro. As opposed to this site, which is not micro. Big site here. Plenty of space for pictures, like of the Venza. Oh crap.
But there's also an interview with its designer,
Nobody cares. Consumers don't give a crap about this. But hey, Toyota needed content to put on the microsite. Did you hear they have a microsite?
a list of specifications and features,
But not the gas mileage, which is the only reason this vehicle is significant. The whole point of the Venza is "crossover space, Camry mileage." So what's the mileage estimated to be? And what's the horsepower output and 0 – 60 time of the four-cylinder engine?
and a couple of interesting videos that detail the design process
Nobody cares. Consumers still don't give a crap about this.
and tell us some interesting stuff about the car's optional V6 engine.
Interesting stuff? Wow, that sounds amazing. I better rush over to the microsite. Microsite!
Oh and by the way, unless it's gas mileage or horsepower numbers, most consumers don't care. They began this blog post talking about how they're getting people from search engine results. You think those people are interested in the optional V6's variable valve timing?
There's also a place for you to sign up for updates on the vehicle,
Really? I love marketing mail. I want to hear more "interesting stuff."
which is set to make its sales debut later this year.
I'm sweating with excitement.
So go ahead, take a look.
I have permission? NICE! I'm going right now. Screw work.
Then tell us what you think.
We care. We're people people, damn it. Can't you people understand that?
My co-workers are wondering why I’m laughing so much while eating my lunch.
This reads like the marketing intern wrote the copy while the “account executives” were at lunch. Bloviation at its worst. Thank you for puncturing it.
Ah, the Venza … because so many automakers would rather gouge our wallets (and make us gouge our eyes) with a glorified wagon that make a proper wagon for a cheaper price.
Remember when we had Accord wagons and the hilarious Camry wagon with the so-ugly-it’s-awesome D-pillar?
Nah, I don’t either. Give me an ugly crossover and sign me up for that email list!
Hillery-arious! (I wrote it that way because I couldn’t remember how to spell hilarious – ah….oh shit).
Fabulous stuff, Mr. Berkowitz. (Yes, I had to scoll back to the top to see how to spell Berkowitz.)
I honestly do want to hear what the designer of this vehicle has to say. I’m quite curious to hear some justification of this shape. I would expect it to be along the lines of ‘we wanted the efficiency of a wagon but the blind spots of a tractor trailer. These were the considerations I took into account when designing this D pillar.’
Toyota thinks that when they use the crapper, their stuff smells like roses. Unfortunately, a ton of consumers have their rose colored noses on.
The Venza is a joke, it is horrid looking, an American car company could not get away with putting this turd on the market. But it is Toyota, so I’m sure the Consumer reports crowd is reading their Open Road blog with starry eyes and baited breath, and thanking Mother Earth for yet another car descended from the Gods. Thank you Car Gods for blessing us with Toyota, in Global Warmings name, Amen.
Alex:
I would like to shake your hand since your comment has made my day. Blessed be Toyota, forever.
Separated at birth?
Audi Q7:
http://us.autos1.yimg.com/img.autos.yahoo.com/ag/audi_q7_36quattro_2008_exterior_4_346x270.jpg
Venza:
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/zz_09venza_pr001.jpg
If “Venza” is the number one search word bringing people to the Open Road blog, then you’re not managing your website correctly. When people search for Venza, you should be sending them directly to the Venza microsite, not to the lame “Open Road Blog.”
Not quite. A website can’t directly influence the search engine rankings and so cannot dictate which site a person is “directed” to (except via the sponsored links – but who uses those?).
The website owner can only play by the rules of the search engines. And the general rule with Google is that they’ll decide for themselves how relevant the site is to the searcher. And they’re pretty good at it. And any tricks are likely to get to you blacklisted, like BMW a while back.
I suspect people end up on the blog simply because it’s been around longer and there has a higher page rank than the microsite. If the microsite is more relevant to Venza then Google will no doubt figure this out, after a while.
cheers
Malcolm
There are a lot of spectacularly untalented people working in marketing and PR.
At detroit where they showed the concept it was up high with the doors open, yes it was to try and disguise the hideous flanks and mess of a rear end. Oh how we laughed.
I think you’ll find you won’t hear from the designer as he’s been put in the designer protection scheme by the toyota feds, hopefully we will never hear from he/she again!!
wow. When you google Venza the microsite is 5 spots down. It ranks behind places like autoblog and left lane news… they need to work on that.
not to nitpick, but saying “venza is the number one keyword bringing people to this site” is not the same as saying “this site is the number one result for the keyword venza”.
There’s a hole in Toyota’s lineup? Where?
Seriously, the Venza needs to be either six inches closer to the ground or a foot and half shorter to fill this mythical “hole” in Toyota’s lineup.
Stein X Leikanger: There are a lot of spectacularly untalented people working in marketing and PR.
Better they work there, as opposed to engineering, styling or product planning.
What’s the big deal? It’s a Camry wagon with a lift kit. But don’t let your enthusiast preferences delude you. The average American will buy TONS more of these than they would a lowered “true” Camry hatchback/wagon. There’s plenty of history there to back it up. Hell, it’s practically the whole reason for Subaru’s existance in the US. Remember Subaru cancelling the Legacy wagon for poor sales while keeping the “Outback Sport Utility Wagon”(same car, just lifted with 500 pounds of plastic body cladding and therefore ugly and clumsy to drive instead of nice and fun to drive)? Adding 4 inches of lift and calling it a CUV/SUV makes any car sell better to the average American.
If Toyota wanted to make a vehicle with the room of an SUV but the mileage of a Camry, why in the hell didn’t they just make a Camry wagon? Would’ve been a hell of a lot cheaper, and people would buy it because it says Camry on it, instead of an ugly thingy that doesn’t.
For that matter, why in the hell did manufacturers start making crossovers anyway? Why not just make wagons – they’re the same damn thing, but cost less to make, and cost a hell of a lot less the market. I’d love a wagon version of my Impala. Oh well.
Pretty funny, but I dunno, that seems a little too easy.
Cracked up at “Microsite!”, though. You got me with that one, JB.
I, like others here, don’t see the point of this Camry hatchback for shallow people. Then again, I was wrong about the Ford Edge, as well.
lprocter1982:
They wouldn’t make enough money on a wagon is my guess. Why give people what they need when you can sell them what they don’t need at $10000 more?
I never got an answer…are there miniature twins in
the glove box?
go go Godzilla…..
All recent hatchback/SUV-style vehicles from Toyota have absolutely huge D-Pillars, creating large blind spots to the rear. See the Venza, FJ Cruiser, new Scion xB, new Matrix, and the Scion xD for examples. Whoever came up with this particular design meme at Toyota needs to be run over by somebody reversing one of these vehicles.
psarhjinian :
June 11th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
There’s a hole in Toyota’s lineup? Where?
I believe they are missing a car in the person-with-a-pulse category or the I-like-driving category
Lumbergh,
Now, while your point is true, Toyota has tried selling some very fun-to-drive cars. Off the top of my head, recent models:
* 2nd-Gen RAV/4
* 7th-Gen Celica (yes, yes, FWD, but how can you argue with 2500lbs, 180hp, razor steering and 8000rpm?)
* 1st-Gen Altezza/IS300 (man, do I miss this car…)
* Any MR2 (cheapest mid-engine car you can buy, excepting the Fiero, which has, ah, issues)
* Any Supra
The problem is that every one of these cars sold badly. People wanted Camrys and Highlanders and Siennas and, by god, that’s what Toyota’s going to give them.
Where’s the Toyota niche vehicle for Mid Morning Coffee Break Eco-Dashes With Friends to Timmies (Dunkin Donuts) for a java? A four door dowdy fuel sipper with froggy face and profile, mouse fur and wooly towel and cheap plastic interior, and a certain feeling of sitting on top of a noisy engine whilst perched on wobbly seats…
Let me check the Toyota website….
They must have something for this mission….
The excitement builds…..
Click, click……click, click….
Ah yes! Of course. The 5 door Yaris. An extra door for your dog. Expectations exceeded! They’ve got even this market lineup hole plugged tight, except for missing about 29 pounds of ugly chrome grille. They’ll fix that on the Mark II, I bet. Blow it up like a big balloon by stretching all dimensions by a factor of 1.3 and fitting a 5.7 liter V8 for better highway mileage.
Toyota can meet all your needs.
They’ll be making my Subies next. Feelings of intense peace are flooding over my body. Contentment. Warmth.
Now why didn’t the big 2.8 start planning for all this kind of thing in 1993? Talk about lack of foresight and adherence to quarterly profit forecasts over long-term R & D. Rant, rant, rant.
(Frothing at the mouth, your correspondent was dragged away by two nice men in white coats for a few days of much-needed rest, mouthing the word “Venza” over and over again)
The Celica and the MR2 are the only ones I have any experience with actually on the road, and yes that was my point, they don’t offer a car that I would even call sporty, least of all a sports car. I’m guessing that the sporty Toyotas of the past didn’t sell in volume because sporty cars aren’t volume sellers as a general rule. Yes there are exceptions, the biggest of which is the Mustang, but nothing like the numbers of hot selling family cars and trucks. And, because sporty is the last thing Toyota is identified with. We don’t make sporty cars because we aren’t identified as sporty because we don’t make sporty cars.
Great editorial. As said in an earlier post. It is a good thing Toyota has great engineers. Makes me wonder how they came up with the marketing savvy to market the Prius
I’m in the “What’s the big deal” camp in regards to the Venza.
It IS a “Camry wagon.” Though, given bushels-full of evidence that common, ordinary “wagons” don’t sell enough to be worth bothering over, it’s an “above-a-top-of-the-line Camry wagon in crossover format,” and I’ll bet that Toyota will sell essentially all that they would care to build.
Did anyone notice Camry sales moving out of the 40,000-unit-per-month range to the 50,000-unit-per month range in these times of high gas prices? Along with a few other models — Corolla, Civic, and Accord — these appear to be prime destinations for people bailing out of trucks and SUV’s. So, what does Toyota have READY TO GO RIGHT NOW? Yes, a crossover version of the Camry. PERFECT timing.
In the end, it just doesn’t matter if Toyota’s marketing campaign is lame — they’ve got cars on the lot that people want to buy. Except the ones for which demand is so high that they’re sold before they can set tire on any lot. And while the 2.8 are closing plants, Toyota is converting some of its truck-building capacity to build the cars that are so high in demand right now.
So, go ahead and criticize the Venza and, yes, the lame marketing campaign, but Toyota will keep on selling more cars than anyone else, while the 2.8 shrink to oblivion.
If the worst thing that Open Road Blog can be accused here is over-hyping something, I would question the big brou-ha-ha of concern. If the worst thing is the Venza itself, well then that is another matter.
I read Open Road Blog (I subscribe to the e-mails) and generally enjoy the skewed, one-sided Toyota loving. It provides a nice change from the relentless bashing on many blogs. I actually anticipate my daily arrival and am disappointed when Irv skips a day. The Blog is for Toyota lovers. It’s not that it lacks objectivity (sometimes) or facts (often). But it presents its viewpoints from Toyota itself, not from an outside source. It is also found on Toyota’s website. So it cannot help but be a marketing tool. Why should it not be involved in hyping the latest offering, an actual new product, not just an update?
As for the Venza itself, for some people this car is going to be near perfect. It is amazing how quickly some mfrs have drifted away from the car-based CUV concept to ones that are too big, too thirsty, too clumsy (Lambda quadruplets, I’m lookin at you. You too, Pilot.) Toyota, who invented this genre (RAV4, Highlander, RX300), has gone back to the drawing board to maybe make the “C” in CUV stand for car.
Now having said all that, I too am disappointed in the Microsite for not offering the info we consumers really need about this product. I, for one, am very anxious to find out specs on the 2.7L engine. But it will come in time. That’s why Toyota lets consumers sign up for updates. Justin, I’m sure you signed up and anxiously await your first e-mail.
Could the Venza be one of the new hybrid models Toyota is planning to introduce soon? That would explain why there is no info on the engine’s fuel efficiency or horsepower – providing that info would give away the hybrid nature of the car. If this thing is a hybrid, it will be quite a hot item.
hmmmmm….interesting theory, Yota….hmmmm
Let’s see the projected timeline.
Venza due in fall, only in V6, 4 cylinder to follow in subsequent months.
Hybrid announcement in January.
2008 just announced to be the year of a new 2.5L engine, which will likely replacing all the ubiquitous 2.4L engines.
Ergo, the 2.7L, not being the replacement for the 2.4, must be a new hybrid engine, finding its way into the Camry and Venza, while the Highlander eventually upgrades its 3.3L hybrid to a 3.5L hybrid, or maybe gets one of each.
Why else would Toyota have two 4 cylinder engines so close? So what could it get…210 hp, 40 mpg? Would make a great Lexus hybrid engine. IS300h, anyone?