2018 Toyota Sienna Release Date and Price

2018 Toyota Sienna Release date

The Sienna is one of the best-selling minivans in the World thanks to its great value for money. It offers plenty of space, a good engine and good safety ratings as well. However, the current car is not exactly what we would call perfect. It lacks a nicely tuned chassis which can be found on some of its rivals and its gearbox is usually quite sluggish. Luckily, though, the current car has been around since 2010, so it is likely going to receive an update quite soon. The upcoming 2018 Toyota Sienna is this rumored update which is set to hit the market sometime in early 2018.

From the looks of it, the new Sienna might be based on Toyota’s new modular architecture instead of the older K-Platform. While this is plenty capable, it can’t match some of its rivals. On top of that, their new modular chassis would be easier to manufacture and it would allow Toyota more room to give the Sienna a much nicer overall character.

More Details and Price

So far there haven’t been any sightings of the prototypes for the Sienna which is a bit of a shame. However, we do know that most manufacturers prefer to test their cars far from journalists who may be the vehicle here. The new model is definitely in development, especially since rivals like the Pacifica or the new Odyssey are catching up quite fast. So far it seems that the starting price won’t change much, so still expect around $31,000. While this is more than some of its rivals, the Sienna also offered more up to this point.

New Chassis

One of the defining traits of the car was the optional all-wheel drive system. Even though this hasn’t been confirmed, we do know Toyota’s new platform does support this configuration. A front wheel drive 2018 Toyota Sienna may be the standard layout but an all-wheel drive system is still not out of the question. The running gear will likely be tweaked in order to retain the great compliant behavior while also adding better driving characteristics. This has been a request even from the older model, so it is safe to assume Toyota will deliver with this new car.

Under the Hood

The ongoing model just received a new 3.5 liter naturally aspirated V6. This is a new direct injected engine which provides 296 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque. This is slightly less than its rivals but still plenty. With it, the car will easily offer north of 21 MPG on average. However, this is not nearly enough to compete with close to 30 MPG for some of its rivals. The new modular architecture allows for inline 4 and V6 engines as well as for hybrids. We would expect the 2018 Toyota Sienna to come with two offerings this time around. A base naturally aspirated V6 with around 300 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque might be standard. However, it is also in desperate need of a hybrid. The one from the RX450h with its combined output of 308 horsepower would fit the bill perfectly. Both of them are likely going to use an eight-speed automatic and it should get both front and all-wheel drive versions. The hybrid could achieve up to 31 MPG on the highway which is great. However, this engine could also cost a lot more, so it might not be feasible at this point.

How will it look? – Inside and Out

The cabin of the current model is nicely laid out for what it is. The driving position is high so there is plenty of visibility all around the cabin. The center console offers all the car’s functions such as the AC-controls, the infotainment unit or the shift-lever. The new model is expected to get a slightly more modern design. The infotainment system will be heavily revised; the materials will improve while the bland gray look of the cabin should be gone. It seems that at this point most people expect Toyota to borrow quite a bit from the new 2018 Toyota Camry which looks spectacular. The exterior is also very likely going to go the same route as the interior. We expect a sportier design than before with more muscular lines and a much more modern feel. In the front, the 2018 Toyota Sienna will likely get a similarly aggressive grille to the Camry while at the back we may even see a larger roof spoiler.