Toyota Sienna

There are very few MPVs and vans in the world which have an interior and features as good and luxurious as the Sienna. This three-row MPV, with a seating capacity of seven passengers and captain seats in the middle row, has a cabin wrapped in dual-tone black and brown leather.

The dashboard of the Toyota Sienna looks simple but elegant with its nicely-styled three-spoke multi-functional steering wheel and an instrument console with a conventional layout and a TFT screen in the middle. The Sienna also gets a free-standing 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with a sleek panel for the AC vents below it, having a panel of automatic climate control in the middle of the vents.

The second row of the Toyota Sienna has captain seats, which have super long slide functions and Ottoman features. The cabin of the Sienna is packed with features like a coloured head-up display, powered front, second and third row of seats, heating function for first and second-row seats, ventilation for front seats, 12-speaker JBL audio system, four-zone automatic climate control and rear-seat entertainment package with screens mounted behind the front seats.

Compared to the boxy-looking luxury vans which we have come across, including Toyota’s own Vellfire, the Sienna has a very sleek and aerodynamic design which makes it one of the best-looking vans available in the market. There is an American essence in the overall appearance of the Toyota Sienna, which makes it look very premium.

At the front, the sleek-looking fascia of the Toyota Sienna consists of a compact-looking gloss black element flanked by satin silver accents, which stretch towards the slim all-LED headlamps on the sides. The front bumper houses the massive trapezoidal grille, which has a gloss black finish and gets honeycomb inserts. The corners of the front bumper include tiny rounded fog lamps at the bottom and hollow air curtains above them.

The side profile of the Toyota Sienna is designed much like traditional vans, with it having a sliding-type rear door. However, what catches one’s attention in the side profile of the Sienna is the smoothly-flowing contours above the front and rear wheel arches, making it look visually dramatic. In its top-spec trim, Sienna’s road presence is further elevated by the large 20-inch alloy wheels, with the MPV also getting functional roof rails and stylish-looking door-mounted rearview mirrors.

The rear of the Toyota Sienna is the most dramatic angle to look at it, with the MPV getting stylish-looking LED tail lamps, the lower outer corners of which stretch down in a curved manner. The boot lid has a wide stretched nameplate between the tail lamps and a seamlessly integrated spoiler above it.

The Toyota Sienna for the Philippines car market is offered with an electronic on-demand all-wheel-drive system and three drive modes – Normal, Eco and Sport, which makes the overall driving experience more controlled and precise, despite it being a three-row people mover. The Sienna also gets a sport-tuned suspension setup for more involved driving dynamics.

The Toyota Sienna is solely offered in the Philippines car market with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder full-hybrid petrol engine, which claims a maximum power output of 245 bhp. The hybrid powertrain of the Sienna also includes a three-motor setup (two at the front and one at the rear) and a sealed Nickel metal hydride battery. This powertrain is mated to an electronically-controlled CVT with sequential shift mode.

Packed with premium safety features, the Toyota Sienna is armed with Toyota Safety Sense, comprising ADAS features like Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beams, Lane Tracing Assist and Road Sign Assist. The other safety features offered in the Sienna include vehicle stability control, traction control, ABS with EBD and brake assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, ten airbags, front and rear parking sensors, a blind spot monitoring system with cross-traffic alerts, and hill start assist.

With its premium styling in and out, a rich list of features and a tech-laden mechanical setup, the Toyota Sienna is one desirable MPV, which despite its expensiveness, is an option worth considering.