2018 Toyota Sienna: A well-timed, tech-heavy refresh
With two brand new minivans in the segment, Toyota dropped its own revision at a perfect time.
Chrysler has the all-new Pacifica, and soon, there'll be a brand new Honda Odyssey on the road, too. The minivan segment is heating up, and to make sure it doesn't get left behind, Toyota gave its Sienna some love for the 2018 model year.
From the outside, not much has changed. The front end sports a new bumper with a significantly larger grille and a nose that's more like the new Prius and Corolla. The mid-range Sienna SE picks up a laminated front windshield, and top-tier Limited models also feature new acoustic glass in the front side windows.
The Sienna still has a 3.5-liter V6, and output remains at 296 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque. It also carries over its optional all-wheel-drive setup, and it's still the only minivan in the segment to offer AWD.
Families can feel a bit safer, now that Toyota has added its Toyota Safety Sense-P suite of active and passive safety systems. It includes adaptive cruise control, lane-departure mitigation with steering assist, automatic high beams and autonomous emergency braking. Best of all, it's standard.
Most of the Sienna's changes involve tech, in fact. Toyota now has five USB ports across three rows (the Pacifica packs three rows of USB, while Honda makes do with two). Its rear seat entertainment system now features streaming capability for Android devices, and all models pick up a 4.2 inch information display. Options include a surround-view camera system for the Limited model.
The Entune 3.0 infotainment system is standard on all trims. It offers Connected Navigation Scout, which uses your smartphone as a navigation system. Every trim except the base L comes with a 4G LTE model with Wi-Fi connectivity, as well. Move up to the top tier trim, and Entune 3.0 adds a JBL audio system (available on SE and XLE, too) and navigation.
The 2018 Toyota Sienna should be at dealerships this fall, and pricing has not yet been announced.