The Toyota Sienta is one of the quirkiest MPVs sold in Malaysia but it was due to said quirkiness that it became a flop here. Over in Japan though, where it is primarily developed for, the Sienta has been quite successful, having been on sale in its current generation since 2015.
Still, it couldn’t match its biggest rival, the Honda Freed in sales. Consistently, the Freed has been outselling the Sienta in Japan and in 2021, the Freed and Nissan Note were the only non-Toyota models to make it in Japan’s top 10 best-selling cars for that year.
Thus, the Sienta’s current iteration is due for a replacement and according to a scoop by Japanese automotive publication, Best Car Web, an all-new third-generation Sienta could be unveiled in August 2022.
Based on info obtained by the Japanese team, the all-new Sienta would be built on the TNGA-B platform which is shared on the Toyota Aqua and Japanese-/European-spec Yaris.
Aside from the platform, the powertrains used on the Aqua and Yaris could also be carried over into the next-gen Sienta. These are the range of Dynamic Force engines which includes the naturally-aspirated 1.5-litre M15A-FKS 3-pot petrol engine (120 PS/145 Nm) and the 1.5-litre hybrid engine (171 PS/261 Nm).
Furthermore, Toyota is banking more on the hybrid variants taking the bulk of sales. For now, 70 percent of buyers opt for the hybrid in the outgoing Sienta but Toyota plans to raise that figure to 80 percent with this all-new generation, according to Japanese media.
Unlike the outgoing Sienta, the design for the third-gen MPV wouldn’t be as drastic. In fact, based on the rendering, the third-gen Sienta might look more conventional and rounder to give more emphasis on interior space.
From hi-tops to trekking sneaks
It’s interesting to note that one of the inspirations for the quirky design of the outgoing second-gen Sienta is a trekking shoe. Quirkiness has been one of the selling points for the Sienta, even on the boxy but fun-looking first generation.
Malaysian-spec Sienta shown
That being said, while the prospect for an all-new Sienta seems exciting, the only way Malaysians would enjoy it might be through grey imports. In spite of its practicality, the Sienta sold very poorly in Malaysia and the tale is repeated in Thailand and Indonesia; the latter is where the ASEAN-spec Sienta is built.
Facelifted Indonesian-spec Sienta shown, note the different grille treatment from the Japanese Sienta
Even though a facelift is introduced in both neighbours, sales are so bad that Toyota could forgo selling the next-gen Sienta in Southeast Asia. Giving it a facelift and offering an OKU-friendly Welcab option isn’t enough to persuade buyers who see electric sliding doors as nothing more than a gimmick.
Traded advertising for a career that fits his passion for cars. Enjoys spotting cars during his free time and has a soft spot for Japanese Kei cars but drives a thirsty manual sedan.
