When it arrives in dealerships late this year, Toyota’s redesigned 2021 Sienna will finally match its competitors when it comes to creature comforts and technology. And it will best them when it comes to fuel economy with a standard hybrid powertrain that increases the minivan’s estimated combined rating to 33 mpg, a 57 percent improvement over the outgoing non-hybridized model.
The newest Sienna, redesigned onto Toyota’s flexible TNGA-K platform — which underpins vehicles as diverse as the Camry, RAV4 and Highlander — receives much-needed styling and interior updates, as well as extra safety equipment and capabilities made possible by its first new platform in a decade.
The Sienna borrows attributes that drew families to large crossovers while keeping the sliding side doors and roomier interior that once made minivans the king of people movers. Among its new available features are an on-board refrigerator, a vacuum cleaner and footrests for second-row seats.
In the first quarter, U.S. sales of the Sienna fell 36 percent to 11,876. The minivan segment is dominated by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, with its Dodge Grand Caravan edging out the Chrysler Pacifica, 24,931 to 24,525, for a combined 59.6 percent of the segment in the first quarter. The Sienna also trails the Honda Odyssey, which is a distant third with 16,390 sales.
The new platform will mean the Sienna no longer looks like an outlier among other Toyota models. It will share similar fascia treatments with other TNGA-based vehicles.
Inside, Toyota’s designers recrafted the cockpit, giving it a wraparound treatment more similar to that of large crossovers. A 9-inch infotainment screen holds center court, while the driver also receives information from a 7-inch screen in the instrument cluster and an optional 10-inch color head-up display available on the Platinum trim level.
Under the hood, the Sienna will be equipped with a 2.5-liter inline-four engine mated to the two electric motors in its hybrid system, delivering 243 hp. An optional all-wheel-drive model will use a separate electric motor to drive the rear wheels as needed for added traction.
Pricing details have not been announced.