February 3, 2003

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Preview:
2004 Toyota Sienna
by Tony Whitney

Toyota made a fairly tentative start in the minivan market years ago with its rather ungainly Van LE model, examples of which can still be seen on Canadian roads. The follow-up Previa was a more sophisticated product, but lacked power with its under-the-floor 4-cylinder engine. Toyota joined the minivan mainstream when it launched its Sienna, the second generation of which was unveiled at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The Sienna has won an excellent reputation, mainly by incorporating those Toyota characteristics the market holds dear - first-rate build quality, unmatched dependability and strong resale value. Although the minivan market is bulging with products, Sienna buyers always knew they were getting "something special" and although the product lacked some of the flashiness of rivals, it boasted outstanding durability and practicality.

So how could Toyota create a better product than than its first-generation Sienna? One route taken by chief engineer Yuji Yokoya was to bring one of the old models to North America and drive it for fully 80,000 kilometres in all imaginable conditions. Yokoya went just about everywhere in the US and Canada to try and discover what needed to be improved when work started on the 2004 model. He drove from Alaska to southern California, from the Pacific to the Atlantic and in Canada, from Labrador to Vancouver Island. If an engineer from a rival automaker has ever completed such an odyssey, I've certainly never heard about it.

The result of Yokoya-San's wanderings should certainly translate into a benchmark minivan - one that rivals will be hard-pressed to match. Most of the engineering design and development was tackled at facilities in North America and much of the styling was handled by a Toyota design facility in Newport Beach, California. The product was conceived from the start for the vast North American minivan market.

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The van sits on an all new low-slung chassis with a wheelbase 130 mm longer than that of its predecessor. Both front and rear tracks are almost 100 mm wider, so stability should be improved. One thing engineer Yokoya noticed on an exceptionally breezy stretch of American prairie was that crosswind stability could be better - hence the wider track. Despite its larger "footprint" the Sienna has a substantially tighter turning circle compared to the old model.

There's been something of a power struggle between minivan manufacturers in recent years and Toyota isn't ready to take a back seat when it comes to performance. Minivans aren't sports cars, of course, but usable power helps considerably when driving with a full load of passengers and cargo in hilly terrain. This is also an important factor for business users, who may be carrying weighty samples or equipment.

The 2004 Sienna engine is a 3.3-litre V-6 developing 230 horsepower. It provides snappy performance and Toyota in the US gives a zero to 60 mph time of 8.4-seconds, claimed best in class. The engine uses an aluminum block and has variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i). According to Toyota, the engine meets Ultra Low Emission Vehicle, Tier 2 regulations. The 5-speed automatic transmission uses a gated shifter, new to this model.

Safety features include anti-lock brakes on all versions plus brake assist and electronic brake force distribution. Two models in the lineup include vehicle stability control and traction control - additional electronic safety systems that contribute towards vehicle stability under demanding conditions. It's worth mentioning that the current Sienna was judged the safest minivan ever tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The top XLE Sienna has front side air bags and curtain shield bags for protecting passengers in all three rows.

Standard equipment includes a rearmost seat that can be folded down flush with the floor and each seat in the middle row can be folded flat and tumbled separately. The van can be specified in seven or eight passenger configurations. All Siennas come with power windows and locks, keyless entry with hatch release, cruise control, dual zone climate control and other useful features. The top model can be ordered with a rear facing DVD entertainment unit that can also be very useful for business users demonstrating products or services using video.

Interestingly, the new Sienna is available with all wheel drive - a key sales point for buyers in snow belt regions of Canada.

The new Sienna goes on sale during the early part of 2003. No price has been announced yet, but most analysts expect it to be fairly close to that of its predecessor.

More First Drives....