Toyota Sienta - Second Generation

2016 Toyota Sienta

Mindful to the Japanese summer vacation, the Toyota Sienta MPV has now been regenerated after being stuck on its squarish looks for over a decade and this is the first time we expect the Sienta compact minivan to be fully changed from the ground-up but I'd expect some hot issues regarding the second-generation Sienta.

First and foremost, it's now essentially larger than its overdue predecessor and the boxy design of the previous model has been stripped off and made it more athletic similar to a jogger's running shoes or a sports bag. In essence then, the new Sienta redefines the leisure activity genre but truth be told, it became more of Japan's Fiat Doblo if I'm honest. There are couple of issues too aside from its design which looks like a distortion because for this new model, the Sienta emblem from the first one has been removed and replaced with the Toyota emblem on the front just to make it more sensible and a bit crazy.

2016 Toyota Sienta interior

2016 Toyota Sienta interior

Because it's so big, the Sienta's newly found status as a Leisure Activity vehicle never forgets the practicality term and for a seven-seater minivan, it isn't half bad at all but there are a couple of drawbacks because with seven seats present, there's no space to fill in your monthly groceries, much like the case of the Honda Jade when all three rows are present, and when you folded the third row seats, you've sacrifice the extra seats for some space so...that's a bad point for the new model there. On the driver's view, it's like a mashup between the Prius and its bigger minivans like the Noah and the Voxy.

On petrol models, the Sienta comes with Toyota's brand new 1.5L 2NR-FKE VVT-iE engine, the same that you expect from the recently-facelifted Corolla range. This new engine is one of Toyota's high-thermal efficiency engines that will launch by the end of this year. It uses the same framework as the Vitz's 1NR-FKE engine but with a longer piston stroke as well as increased diameters on the inlet and exhaust pipes. Couple that with the idling stop feature and the Super CVT-i gearbox and the fuel economy is expected to be up to 20.6km/L. That's 3.4km/L more than the old Sienta's.

However, there's a new hybrid model for the Sienta, and it's for those who are not in a hurry for anything. With the 1NZ-FXE engine mated with a 45kW electric motor and a traditional nickel metal hydride batter, total power output is a measly 100PS and thanks to the CVT gearbox, fuel economy is up to 27.2km/L.

Handling wise, the Sienta isn't what you call sporty but it's well civilized and uncomplicated for first-timers thanks to its rack and pinon steering, MacPherson strut and coil springs in the front suspension and a rear torsion beam for the rear suspension (FF only, 4WD models get rear double wishbones). It's a great car to handle but for a concept, it's a tad old-fashioned.

In terms of safety, the new Sienta is available with the brand new Toyota Safety Sense C package and because Toyota is now balancing the things that are fun with the things that are safe with great responsibility, this new package consists of Pre-Collision System uses a camera and a laser radar to scan incoming vehicles on the driver's twelves, the Lane Departure Alert uses a camera to detect white and yellow lane markings, and lastly, the Automatic High Beam detects oncoming vehicle's headlights and the taillights of cars in front, allowing its headlamps to be automatically switched between high beam and low beam.

2016 Toyota Sienta

The new Sienta starts at 1,689,709 up to 2,329,855 Yen and when targeted against the Honda Freed, this new Sienta makes it a great value for money and this is something what Leisure Lifestyle Enthusiasts are looking forward to if they're know what they're thinking.

Available colors: Super White II, White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Black Mica, Red Mica Metallic, Vintage Brown Pearl Crystal Shine, Air Yellow, Green Mica Metallic, and Blue Metallic.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation