Toyota Sienta 1.5X (A) Review

Japanese-market Toyotas have given us quite a fair number of interesting cars in the past decade or so, from the Mark X Zio to the Voxy to the Sienta, these cars were a breath of fresh air from the more conservative and conventional offerings from the manufacturer.

In continuing this tradition, the second generation Sienta made its debut back in July sporting a fresh new face coupled to a very distinctive and interesting styling. We have managed to get our hands on one of the first Sientas to reach our shores to give you an early review.

The first generation Sienta was designed to be a “fun” family MPV, hence sporting a friendly front end with bubble-shaped headlights, and an interior that was curious yet refreshing. The latest iteration of this fun family MPV has not changed its formula either. The car is draped in a body featuring funky and attractive lines, which was inspired by a trekking shoe according to Toyota’s press release. It sure does not look as bulky or rugged as a trekking shoe, that’s for sure!

Round the front, the large grille and the Toyota badge dominates the nose, while the headlights pack daytime running lights as well as HID beams, standard items even on the entry X model.

The sliding doors found on its predecessors remain, while the kink on the window line past the C-pillars and the black plastic cladding before the rear wheels is a quirky touch. The quirkiness may also be seen at the rear too, where a bumper garnish joins the two rear lights. The car’s rear styling is definitely a touch wackier than the seemingly more conservative nose.

Moving on to the interior, the dash is unabashedly modern and clean. Three simple air-conditioning knobs, an (presently unfitted) entertainment screen, and a gear knob gives a minimalist appearance. Orange accents liven up the interior and lift the car’s funkiness. The orange accent is most noticeable around the glove compartment, where the compartment lid cuts away to reveal what appears to be orange quilted leather but is in reality just hard plastic. Very cool indeed.

The light two-tone interior colours lift the interior and the large glass area endows the car with an airy interior atmosphere. The dash is littered with many cubbyholes and easy access storage that are practical and usable. The oval steering wheel is a very nice touch too, matching the car’s quirky styling inside and out.

The rear sliding doors make access to the third row a treat. The three-rows of seats are placed in a stadium seating arrangement in which the seats are elevated gradually towards the rear. The middle row slides forward and back, and access to the third row is the easiest with the middle row folded up against the first row seat. No matter which row you are in, there is plenty of space even if you are taller than 1.7m.

The third row seats take a slight bit of effort to fold, but do take in mind they are full-size seats that adults will not mind occupying on long journeys. Moreover, they do fold flat into the floor. Even with these seats up, there still is room in the boot for some shopping. The Sienta aces in rewarding its owners with acres of usable interior space.

The new Sienta is powered by 1.5-litre engine good for 107bhp, enough to hustle the car along when fully loaded, but pulls convincingly when not. Power is transferred to the wheels through a CVT-i gearbox to the front wheels.

With a family-oriented car like the Sienta, there’s no denying that the engine and gearbox are geared towards being efficient and sipping as little fuel as possible. This virtue obviously shone during our test drive, with the car achieving respectable figures of about 17km/l.

The biggest surprise of the drive was perhaps how the Sienta steered. It is no secret that some Toyotas are plagued with the issue to have a rubbery, light, and disconnected steering. However in the latest Sienta, it was relatively taut and well weighted. The steering was neither woolly nor vague.

Ride over bumps and humps appear to be well ironed out, given that the car sits on fat tyres too. The large glasshouse gives a great visibility, and long drives in the car shuttling the kids around and running errands will be pretty much effortless.

The latest iteration of the Toyota Sienta is one of the best budget family MPVs. Its spaciousness, fresh and quirkiness inside out, and great fuel efficiency will no doubt be virtues that buyers appreciate. We like it, and are definitely looking forward to driving the G variant in the near future, bringing you another review of this fun family MPV.

Car reviewed sponsored by: Autolink Holdings

Credits: Oneshift Editorial Team