The 2021 Toyota Sienna was a fully redesigned fourth-generation minivan, and it arrived with a single powertrain choice: a gasoline-electric hybrid. Toyota revealed it on May 18, 2020, and it went on sale in the United States that November. The redesign replaced the previous V6 with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and electric motors, and it moved the van onto the Toyota New Global Architecture GA-K platform.
This overview sets out what the 2021 Sienna changed, how the hybrid drives, how much space it offered, and what it cost. The figures come from Toyota, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and independent testing by the motoring press.
What Changed for 2021
The fourth generation was new from the ground up, including a new electrical architecture and a new chassis. Toyota’s design teams in California and Michigan gave it a more sculpted, SUV-like body with muscular wheel arches, and the sporty XSE trim wore 20-inch wheels and unique bumpers. The van was built in Princeton, Indiana. The 3.5-liter V6, which made 296 horsepower, was replaced by a hybrid four-cylinder, making 2021 the first Sienna offered as a hybrid only, as noted on Wikipedia.
Interior, Seating and Cargo
The Sienna’s cabin used a “Bridge Console” that connected the dashboard to the center armrest, leaving an open storage area beneath it. Seating was for seven or eight, depending on trim: LE and some XLE models had an eight-seat layout with a removable middle seat in the second row, while the XSE, Limited and Platinum seated seven with captain’s chairs. Those chairs slid up to 25 inches, and the top trims could be fitted with reclining second-row seats and pop-up ottomans.
Cargo volume was 33.5 cubic feet behind the third row, 75.2 cubic feet behind the second row and up to 101 cubic feet with the second row folded. Unlike some rivals, the Sienna’s second-row seats were not removable. A 9-inch touchscreen, seven USB ports, a Wi-Fi hotspot and a 7-inch digital instrument cluster were standard.
Dimensionally the 2021 Sienna measured 203.7 inches long, 78.5 inches wide and 68.5 inches tall on a 120.5-inch wheelbase, with a total passenger volume of 162.5 cubic feet. The eight-passenger, front-drive LE weighed about 4,610 pounds. Toyota fitted 17-inch wheels to the LE, 18-inch wheels to the Limited and 20-inch wheels to the sportier XSE.
How the Hybrid Drives
The powertrain combines a 2.5-liter four-cylinder rated at 186 horsepower with two electric motors for a combined 245 horsepower, driving through an eCVT. Front-wheel drive was standard; Toyota’s Electronic On-Demand AWD added a third motor at the rear axle. Car and Driver timed an all-wheel-drive Platinum at 7.7 seconds to 60 mph and a 15.8-second quarter mile, which it called similar to a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid but slower than the gasoline minivans in the class, per Car and Driver. The same review listed a refined ride and an efficient hybrid powertrain among the van’s strengths.
Technology and Safety
Every 2021 Sienna included Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 as standard: automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assist, lane tracing assist and automatic high beams. Optional driver aids added a digital rear-view mirror, a color head-up display and blind-spot monitoring. The minivan earned the top rating of Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, per IIHS, and the IIHS noted it came with standard blind-spot detection and lane-departure prevention.
Fuel Economy and Running Costs
fueleconomy.gov rated the front-wheel-drive Sienna Hybrid at 36 mpg city, 36 mpg highway and 36 mpg combined, with all-wheel drive at 35/36/35 mpg. That was a large jump over the 2020 V6 model, which was rated at about 20 mpg combined. Toyota backed the hybrid battery for 10 years or 150,000 miles, and the vehicle carried a 36-month/36,000-mile basic warranty with two years of complimentary scheduled maintenance.
With an 18-gallon fuel tank, front-wheel-drive Siennas were rated at about 648 miles of driving range. Real-world results tracked close to the EPA figures: in a year-long test covering 18,927 miles, Edmunds averaged 32.9 mpg in an all-wheel-drive Sienna.
Equipment Highlights
Toyota packed the fourth-generation Sienna with family-oriented features. Depending on trim, owners could get kick-open and kick-close power sliding side doors and a power rear gate, four-zone climate control, heated second-row captain’s chairs with ottomans, a digital rear-view mirror and a 10-inch color head-up display. A 12-speaker JBL audio system was available, and Toyota offered a factory 1,500-watt inverter with a 120-volt AC outlet for camping equipment. Every version was rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds, and Toyota said the Sienna was the first minivan with a power tilt-and-telescoping steering column and a heated steering wheel.
Ownership and Warranty
Toyota covered the 2021 Sienna with a 36-month or 36,000-mile basic warranty. The hybrid battery carried a separate 10-year or 150,000-mile warranty, and buyers received two years or 25,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance plus two years of roadside assistance. Kelley Blue Book listed the 2021 Sienna among its 12 Best Family Cars for 2021.
Pricing, Release Date and Availability
The 2021 Sienna went on sale in November 2020. Prices started at $35,635 including destination for the LE and reached $51,635 for an all-wheel-drive Platinum, per The Car Connection. All-wheel drive added $2,000 on the LE and XLE, $700 on the XSE, $1,800 on the Limited and $560 on the Platinum.
For buyers comparing models, the site archive includes a closer look at the Toyota Sienna Hybrid powertrain and at the 2020 Camry Atara R.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Sienna
- https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2021_Toyota_Sienna.shtml
- https://pressroom.toyota.com/toyota-launches-all-new-2021-sienna-to-suit-a-variety-of-lifestyles/
- https://www.caranddriver.com/toyota/sienna-2021
- https://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1130093_2021-toyota-sienna-hybrid-minivan-price-and-mpg-increase
- https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/Toyota/sienna-minivan/2021
- https://www.edmunds.com/toyota/sienna/2021/long-term-road-test/
- https://www.kbb.com/awards/best-family-cars-2021-toyota-sienna/
