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Hold your crossovers! Minivans aren't dead! At the top: 2021 Toyota Sienna;
At the bottom: 2021 Toyota Venza
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For 2021, Toyota is redesigning one of its old nameplates
and reviving another.
2021 Sienna
Riding on Toyota’s TNGA platform, the Sienna minivan will be
all-new for 2021, and I’m digging the way it looks. I’m getting “spaceship” vibes.
Toyota has a history of trying to turn the Sienna into a “swagger wagon” and it
looks like they’re still trying in a way. What’s noteworthy about the new Sienna
is that it will only be offered as a four-cylinder hybrid model. Siennas in the
past have always had a V6 engine, but of course, with high fuel economy ratings
and emission reduction being the goal these days, four-cylinder engines are becoming
the norm. The aforementioned engine will be a 2.5L I4 paired with two electric
motors, good for 243 HP. This is a drop of 53 HP from the outgoing 3.5L V6, but
with the power trade off comes a 33 MPG rating – a big improvement. AWD will be offered as well – eAWD actually, as an electric motor will be mounted
to the 2021 Sienna’s rear wheels for power. A similar eAWD setup exists in the
RAV4 XSE Hybrid.
It is worth noting that the only other hybrid minivan on the
market is the Chrysler Pacifica, and it’s a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). I was
wondering what was taking so long for automakers, especially Toyota given their
history with hybrid technology, to jump into the hybrid minivan game. Another
noteworthy change about the 2020 Sienna is the second-row seats. They now include
seat-mounted side air bags, so the seats are no longer removable. We’ve owned
minivans in our family – a 1998 Oldsmobile Silhouette and a 2006 Buick Terraza
and the Terraza had seat mounted side air bags for the second row, thus meaning
you couldn’t remove them. I’m personally very fond of minivans, however this
seems like an oversight in functionality.
Other features standard or available on the 2021 Sienna will
be four-zone climate control, power opening rear doors and rear hatch (of course
– this is a must, it’s a minivan), a rear entertainment system, in-car Wi-Fi,
18 cupholders, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency
braking, an onboard vacuum and refrigerator, and a towing capacity of 3,500
pounds. Everything you could want/need in your modern minivan. Sienna’s trim
levels will be LE, XLE, Limited, a new sporty XSE trim, and finally Platinum. Expect
pricing to start in the low $30,000 range and the 2021 Sienna to go on sale in
late 2020 (assuming no coronavirus delays).
2021 Venza
Next, we have the 2021 Venza – a name last used in 2015 by Toyota
on a midsize Camry-based crossover. It sold rather poorly, which is surprising
given the whole “SUV boom” happening, so it was discontinued. Toyota has been
lacking a midsize two-row SUV since then, with SUVs like the reborn Chevy Blazer
and Honda Passport coming on the scene at the right time to capitalize on America’s
thirst for SUVs. For 2021, that changes, as the Venza is coming back as a hybrid
SUV to the Toyota lineup.
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Top pic: 2021 Sienna Interior;
Bottom pic: 2021 Venza Interior
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Promising up to 40 MPG combined and also riding on the TNGA
platform, the 2021 Venza is actually called the "Harrier" in Japan. A 2.5L I4
engine paired to three electric motors is standard and good for 219 HP – the same
as the RAV4 Hybrid. However, this model is supposed to be slightly bigger and
more luxurious than the RAV4 and smaller than the Highlander. The third
electric motor is actually used to give the Venza eAWD, just like the RAV4 and
Sienna – are you noticing the strategy Toyota is using here? Pricing is unknown,
but standard features include a power rear hatch, power driver’s seat, and the
usual driver assistance features for new cars these days (AEB, FCW, BSD, etc.).
The Venza’s trim levels will consist of LE, XLE, and Limited with an on-sale
date of August 2020 (again, assuming coronavirus doesn’t say otherwise I’m sure…).
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| A throwback pic: 2008-2015 Toyota Venza |
What do you think about the 2021 Sienna and Venza?
Personally, I really like the Sienna, but the Venza I’m not sure about. Toyota's and
Lexus’ styling is always hit or miss for me. Also, I feel the first Venza
failed because its pricing ran too high, but it wasn’t really any more efficient or useful than a similarly priced Highlander at that time. In fact, that's a problem the current RAV4/RAV4 Hybrid has I feel... $40,000+ for a loaded RAV4? Seriously??? But maybe more on that another time. This new Venza model being a hybrid is
more efficient, but it's also a larger SUV with only 219 HP. So, I’m not sure how
that will drive or if it'll have enough power…
Bottom line, Toyota will have to be careful with pricing to sell the Venza
in significant numbers this time around.
Copyright © 2020 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
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