New 2022 Toyota Sienna Platinum Redesign
2022 Toyota Sienna Platinum – The redesigned Toyota Sienna 2022 seems poised to compete with Chrysler’s stylish Pacifica and the excellent Honda Odyssey, thanks to fresh features, a touch of luxury, and class-killing fuel economy.
If you can get past the front end of this not-so-minivan line, there’s plenty to enjoy, from Toyota’s super comfortable second-row captain’s seat and thoughtful interior features to its standard hybrid drivetrain. Increasing the luxury factor, you can even get a mini-fridge inside.
2022 Toyota Sienna Platinum
With a base price of $49,900, the Toyota Sienna Platinum 2022 is quite expensive for minivans. In fact, some of the Japanese car manufacturer’s most luxurious products, such as Toyota Century, are not offered in the U.S. And that includes the Toyota Alphard, a minivan with a price tag that can stretch into the six-figure territory.
The Sienna 2022 minivan is now based on Toyota’s TNGA-K platform and is closely related to Japanese car manufacturer Highlander SUV. From the instrument panel to the front, it’s very similar, although, behind it, things get very different.
This new and highly secure foundation helps the company’s engineers push the floor about 1.5 inches lower compared to the outgoing Sienna, which makes getting in and out easier. Grab is also handling assistance in this area.
2022 Toyota Sienna Platinum Engine
Mechanically, the Toyota Sienna and Alphard 2022 are fairly similar. Both are available with a hybrid powertrain, consisting of four 2.5-liter cylinders with 2 electric motors. In the US, the Sienna system emits 245 hp and can run briefly in EV Mode.
Sienna’s look is of course controversial, but on the contrary, almost everyone will appreciate the interior of this minivan. There are interesting materials in it, and the overall design is very functional, with plenty of storage space and some smart features.
One of the most interesting and new cabin elements is Sienna’s new bridge-like center console, which stretches between the front seats. There’s a big bin underneath and a big cubby on the dashboard, a change made possible in part by the new gear picker. Paradoxically, when tucked behind the wheel, the van manages to look comfortable and lap the air at the same time, an unexpected feeling, but a good one.
2022 Toyota Sienna Platinum Hybrid
Toyota engineers have thrown the V6 Sienna out. In place is the familiar hybrid powertrain, built around a naturally envisioned 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine.
With a small battery pack mounted under the front seat and several functioning motor-generators performing double duty as continuously variable transmission, this combination provides 243 respectable horsepower. Yes, that’s about 40 fewer ponies than you get in a Honda Odyssey or Chrysler Pacifica, but trade-offs dramatically increase fuel economy.
Toyota is estimated to average about 33 miles per gallon in the mixed drive, significantly more than its conventionally powered rivals and even some mpg better than the Pacifica plug-in hybrid. This model also features the EV mode that allows you to drive very short distances purely on electricity. To add peace of mind, all Sienna hybrid-related components, including battery packs, are covered by a 10-year/ 150,000-mile warranty.
Toyota Sienna Platinum AWD
For extra confidence in challenging conditions, the Toyota Sienna 2022 can have an all-wheel drive. In fact, it’s available across the board in every class. Unlike more traditional systems, this one is electric-powered and on-demand. A separate motor drives the rear wheels as needed, and upon takeoff from the stop, this resource can send up to 80% of its propulsion to the rear tire.
In addition to additional efficiency and the ability to drive short distances on electricity, another feature that enables the Sienna hybrid drivetrain is a powerful power inverter. With 1,500 watts of juice, this 120-volt van plug allows you to run a coffee pot, a small refrigerator or even an electric saw to cut some of the wood you just picked up from your local big box store.
Of course, if you’re not interested in construction work, Sienna can also, for example, help keep the slow stove nice and hot during a long trip to grandma’s house on Thanksgiving. The possibilities are almost endless.
By comparison, Chief Engineer Sienna Monte Kaehr tells me the largest power inverter Toyota has to offer in a non-hybrid vehicle is found in the 4Runner SUV and delivers a relatively underestimated 400 watts – less than a third of what this minivan has to offer.
2022 Toyota Sienna Platinum Interior
Providing unparalleled comfort, Sienna’s Super Long Slide second-row captain’s seats are available adjusting front and rear with a whopping 25 inches. The second-row seats in the lower models still glide an impressive 15 inches. These adjustments give passengers a large amount of legroom, but that’s not all.
The seats are also heated and equipped with integrated ottomans that appear and slide out. Unfortunately, ventilation is not available, but you still won’t find more seat comfort in the vehicle on the side of this Boeing 777 business class cabin.
Sienna’s third-row seats are also comfortable. At 6 feet tall, I’m perfectly suited back there, with plenty of room for my head and legs, plus the lower pillows are at a favorable height above the floor. Interestingly, Toyota engineers have been able to reduce the mass of these seats by half, according to Kaehr.
The frame is now a one-piece affair made of resin compared to the steel unit in the outgoing model consisting of 15 separate parts. on this model, Sienna’s third-row seats are much easier to fold flat to the floor and lift again. It only takes 19 pounds of strength to raise, compared to the old design that took a whopping 53 lbs.
In addition to the super comfortable second-row captain’s seat, the Sienna fridge/freezer available is another that will help make it an exemplary family travel machine. The insulated trash can at the back of the center console is large enough to hold six half-liter bottles of water. Of course, it’s also the perfect place to keep piles of push-pop, fudge-sicles, or whatever you want to keep frozen.
If there is a weakness in the Sienna’s luxurious captain’s seat, it is that they are not removable, nor do they fold to the floor like Chrysler’s innovative Stow ‘n Go system. Their bottom cushion, however, flips up, allowing the chair itself to slide right into the front bucket.
However, all that origami is still not enough to allow Sienna to transport a 4-by-8 sheet of plywood or drywall flat on the floor, although it can load it. They have to slide in corners and slots between the second-row seats, which is a little more difficult.
2022 Toyota Sienna Platinum Price
Some Toyota Alphard trims cost roughly the same as the Sienna trim. Basic Toyota Sienna, LE, starting at $34,460. Alphard S, meanwhile, costs the equivalent of $36,900. However, the price gap only widens from there.
The top 2022 Toyota Sienna trim is $49,900 Platinum. But Toyota Alphard Executive Lounge S range-topping starts at about $70,500. And this is the price for the front-wheel-drive model; AWD is optional for both Sienna and Alphard. However, it is still not the most expensive Alphard.
