They may have lost significant ground to crossovers and SUVs, just like most traditional models, but minivans still have a future. Several automakers remain committed to this class, including Toyota, whose fourth-generation Sienna recently blew three candles off its birthday cake.
In production since 2020, it was updated for the 2024 model year last fall, benefiting from a few styling tweaks and added gear and becoming more expensive than its predecessor. The lineup comprises the LE, XLE, XSE, Limited, and Platinum, which come with FWD. AWD is available as an option across the range, and it's the configuration of the Woodland Edition, too.
The latter starts at $48,125, slotting between the AWD XSE and Limited in terms of pricing. The most expensive variant is the Platinum AWD, with its $53,405 MSRP, and the most affordable is the FWD LE, offered from $37,185. All prices exclude the $1,395 destination fee. An electrified 2.5-liter four-cylinder unit that kicks out 245 hp (248 ps/183 kW) powers the entire range.
No one knows what the future holds for the Sienna, but we suspect Toyota will give it another shot with an entirely new generation. We could speculate on how it would look, what would power it, likely partially electrified mills, and what platform it would use, but we have yet to learn about it. The same goes for every rendering artist who tries to imagine its styling, including Vburlapp, who recently took to social media to present a hypothetical fifth-gen.
Photo: Toyota
You don't need a side-by-side comparison with the actual fourth-gen to spot the differences, do you? After all, the changes are in your face. They include an entirely new face that looks pointier this time around. It has a new hood that is slightly smaller, slender headlamps, and exaggerated proportions when it comes to the lower part of the bumper, which, if tweaked a bit more, might make this Toyota look like a Lexus.
The sliding rear doors are still a thing, and the window line was digitally modified to separate it from the current one. The profile shows new lines, including the reshaped rear quarter panels, and different side mirror caps. The pixel manipulator gave it a new rear bumper and fresh taillamps, which are barely visible in the digital illustration. The last touches represent the white paint finish with a few black accents and the larger wheels that look like they came from the aftermarket world.
Overall, the imagined 2025 Toyota Sienna looks like an evolution of its predecessor, a comprehensive mid-cycle refresh, if you will. We certainly wouldn't complain if the Japanese automaker decided to follow a similar route. After all, the car world needs more traditional models, and as much as we would've hated people carriers a few years ago, some of them look far more appealing than their high-riding equivalents.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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