Have been following the Toyota Sienta since it launched in Japan last year. Seems like it is finally coming here to Malaysia.
















Key items are
- VSC/TRC
- 3 airbags
- Hill Start Assist
- all round disc brake
- auto sliding power door
- dive in seat configuration

Specification
1.5L dual VVTI (107ps 143nm)
7 speed CVT

Measurements
- 4,235 mm long, 1,695 mm wide and 1,700 mm tall

Price
G - RM92,000
v - RM99,000


Basically seems like a perfect car for a small family with a sub 100k budget. Nothing much to shout about in terms of performance, but What i find most interesting is the seat confIguration in 5 seater mode where the third row 'dives' under the second row seats, freeing up a lot of space for cargo. And of course, the power sliding doors and low access to the car. Perfect for families with small babies or old parents. Looks wise also is more love it or hate it, but the main selling point is probably its practicality and decent safety line up

What do you think guys? Falling in love with this car 😁
My final wish will be for it to come in hybrid variants, but probably might cost a bomb

This post has been edited by aztechx: Jul 3 2016, 12:31 PM

Love this color for the Japan spec but doubt that UMW will bring this in

With the third row diving under the second row for storage i dont think it will be necessary to remove the seats hence the practicality. I think ill be using it as a regular 5 seater with extra storage, and only 7 if really necessary than using it as a pure 7 seater people carrier.

A photo to demo the dive in feature







Spec sheet does seem to indicate all four are disc brakes

I believe the finishing is far better compared to avanza. Probably on par with the likes of vios from the photos. But still need to see the actual car to judge

Exactly my thought. There isnt any buzz about the arrival of this model where i feel it deserves more attention. Looks wise, not the best out there but i think looks is a bonus for this segment.

It will save me the hassle of getting out of my car to open the car for my wife with baby though those electric power sliding doors.

This post has been edited by aztechx: Jul 3 2016, 11:32 PM

Based on the spec sheet, the lower variant only has one side power door though.

Like i mentioned, i will be using it primary as a 5 seater leaving me with a large and high cargo storage area in the back. Getting a sedan would limit my storage. Especially the way strollers take up space in my current boot. 😅

Current innova is 105k for the manual variant if im not mistaken. High spec goes all the way to 118-120k. To steep for my budget and too large or me at the moment

Im actually in a similar situation as you. My purchase will be relevant in the next 2-3 years so not in a hurry either, the sienta just happens to fit my needs quite perfectly.

Hopefully the deal gets better around next year. Probably some good deals for 2016 leftover stocks. 😁

Was just wondering if its actually smaller than alza in terms of dimension

This post has been edited by aztechx: Jul 4 2016, 12:44 PM

Browsing through the spec sheet at toyota website did show a solid and ventilated disc configuration meaning all four will indeed come with disc brakes. But probably a feature that could easily be not noticeable during daily commute.

Apparently the sienta is currently the number 1 selling mpv in Japan, the hybrid variant that is. Reviews are currently only in Japanese and 1-2 decent indoenesian review. They seem to be happy with the third row despite their knees obviously touching the fromt row. Dont think a full grown adult is suited for those seats. Still haveto physically try it out at showrooms.

Another bummer is the lack of leather seat option. Having small babies around, quite essential to have leather seats for me. Probably might push the price much higher with 7 leather seats.

The BRV is already on the road in SG?

Was considering that too but i believe it is more of ak 'avanza-like' vehicle.

By the way the sienta will be displayed at mitsui outlet park between 5th-10th this month. Can go take a peek.

Saw it on the 'Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA Sepang' facebook page. Since its a store inside mitsui it should be opened daily. Will only be back on Friday. Hope to see it by then.

Whooaaa..judging that this is a weekday crowd, might be hard for me to play around with the car with my family tagging along.was expecting an empty car

Thanks alot for the quick review ftan! And the photos! U sure made the rear look less odd from that angle.it does look,well..unique.. 😁 were those 1st row rear seat adjusted all the way back?

P/s : what phone did u use to capture those photos. Crystal clear indoor shots! 😅

I actually find the brown seats to suit the dark overall interior of the car. The previous photos all seem to show a much lighter tone of brown probably due to camera flash. Will have to check its out in flesh this friday. You got me excited already 😝

About the door, Had the same problem with an alphard door awhile back, it was due to me not being familiar with the doors control, flipped the door open, someone pulled the door handle and i pressed the lock/unlock button. Ended up stuck just like you described. Had to turn on and off the car for it to work again. Hope it doesnt turn out as a regular issue.

This post has been edited by aztechx: Jul 6 2016, 09:36 PM

Will do, but based on soyusa's comment below, battery drain too is possible it seems. I assumed those doors will still work mechanically in the case of no power.

By the way another question would be, are the rear seats as comfortable as a sedan rear seat?doesnt look that way, thats the particular reason my wife isnt so interested with the car. Besides the fact that whatever you keep in the cargo area is visible from outside. and the 'simplistic' aircond controls. I have alot of convincing to do.haha

Wished it came with more airbags too. But with the sub 100k price, i think all the other offerings are only offering two as standard.correct me if im wrong.

For the power doors, you mean it is activated from the outside by handle pull instead of button?
What does the q grade offer in indonesia?

Anyway thanks alot for the input and the leaflet screen shots, gave me a few ideas on what to look out for. Just wonder how well it rides and comfort against the likes of vios/city

This post has been edited by aztechx: Jul 7 2016, 09:49 AM

Thats quite a surprise actually, initial review from paultan seems to speak highly on the design giving me the impression it could be a hit.

At the 70k-80k price point i think the BRV could sell volumes for those SUV adopters who cant afford the current line of choices.

Finally some rational remarks on this issue. Spot on there.

Somehow, there will always be nasty remarks on missing features such as airbags etc, and eventual buyers who purchase because of available items. Its a matter of which crowd is bigger. For some reasons, the latter seems to attract a much bigger crowd and customers. Perhaps the lack of awareness.

Cant blame the car makers. These car makers are doing business, profit and volume is what matters. They can claim to have 24 airbags but if no one buys the car they are screwed. They will evolve with the market. Thats what they have been doing for the past 50 years or so and which is why they still survive today.

Interesting point though on the availability of the optional items on vw.

If im not mistaken, the indonesian sienta is built with a higher ground clearance than the japan spec ones. Since we are importing from there i assume ours would be higher too.

"The 170 mm ground clearance on Indonesian models is 25 mm higher than on the JDM cars, presumably to cope with the rougher roads."
http://<link removed>/2016/04/07/iims-2016-to...d-in-indonesia/

Spec sheet says that the V grade will come with driving recorder. None on the lower variant. Will try to find out more on the navi upgrade option.

Oh, and ive given up on getting useful info from salesman nowadays. Better off searching on my own than kena con by this people

The sienta passes as an EEV?

This post has been edited by aztechx: Jul 8 2016, 12:43 PM

Interesting. Is it possible that the current price IS already with EEV exemptions?

Doubt that there will be a hybrid since the gov only approves CKD hybrids to enjoy the incentives. Maybe after the new plant arrives we might see it depending on how well it sells now.

Just noticed that the sienta is heavier than the avanza??never expected that. Hopefully the cute 1.5 engine can pull its weight

Went to take a look at the car awhile ago. Was lucky that i had a good 15 mts alone with the car.

Not a single sole, around including the salesmen. It was all empty. All electrics on the car were off. Assume battery was dead. Doors open only by push and couldnt open the rear door to checkout the cargo space properly.

I had a few criteria as my priority to look out for today, in summary

COMFORT
- seat comfort beyond expectation. Currently driving a peugeot 207 and the comfort of the sienta far exceeds that
- 2nd row too was very comfortable as well. Wife was happy with the seat padding and the chair reclines up to 45 degrees with the headrest shaped perfectly as a pillow.
- 3rd row, didnt expect much to be honest from the thin seat materials in the photo. But again it exceeded my expectations. Seat was firm and comfortable enough and surprisingly leg room was sufficient with the second row moved slightly forward. (My Height ~175cm) in the alza i had to bend my knees sideways but could comfortably fit my knees in the sienta. With the second row pushed all the way back, not so comfortable as the front seat frames pushes into your shins.

I believe the extra space at the last row comes from the higher position of those seats and the large space available under the second row.

PRACTICALITY
- the Sienta excels here. Was surprised by how effortless it was to tuck the seats in and out under 30 seconds even when accessed from the side doors. I believe female drivers will appreciate this.
- storage and cupholders and secret compartments everywhere and blended in well with the design.
- however i did find the front cupholders to be slightly annoying when getting into the car.
- wife could very easily get in and out from the car with a baby in hand.
- the flat flooring in the rear is a big plus for a car like this. Really does give a spacious feel.


Flat floor on the rear

CARGO AREA
- in 5 seats configuration, space is abundant. Distance from the rear to the seats are standard as per normal sedan, vios/city.
- not happy that there doesnt seem to be a cover to form a flat surface to cover the gaps between the folded seats. japan specs seems to have this.
- trunk tray is available but the size is for 7 seat configuration and with seats folded, i doubt that it will be useful at all.
Imagine putting in a heavy luggage bag with half of it on the tray and the other half outside. Moght probably remove it all together
- couldnt judge the space properly due to the rear door not working
- with 7 seats configuration and fully reclined seats, a standard luggage back would not fit upright.
- with 5 seats configuration you can fit a baby elephant there. (Luggage can be stacked compared to sedan)


Looks like the tray cant be removed due to a hidden compartment under


DESIGN
- beautiful in flesh
- rear might not suit many but not much can be done with such a flat surface
- the car actually appears lower than it actually is. Might be the curves or overall stance shying away from a typical van look.
- The dashboard motives actually looked good in flesh. Materials looks good to the eyes but of course, all plastic. (would have preferred those orange touch like the Japan model)

OTHERS
- aircond panel doesnt look as cheap as in the photos. The glossy finish and soft button touch was actually good.
- if you are sitting in the rear, you might notice that the driver is very low due to the stadium seating arrangement

Thats all i can remember as of now. Will upload some photos as soon as i have the time. paultan seems to have an extensive undressing of the car with hi-res photos as well

Next of course would be a test drive to see the NVH level ,comfort and if it has sufficient power for casual driving. If it scores decently there, i think my decision would be quite clear.

This post has been edited by aztechx: Jul 8 2016, 11:59 PM

I would say avanza and alza is less premium since both are basically daihatsus, with cost saving in mind. It was probably never meant to target customers who can afford b segments like the of vios/city. More for those who want a budget people carrier.

The premium for the sienta would be on the finishing,comfort and safety features. At below 100k i believe thats a large market for it to potentially eat through.

Initially considered white, but after seeing the orange, it seems to have a more metallic look to it giving the car a more expensive look but worried it might look dated after some time, and possibly affecting its resale value.wonder if the white is metallic.

Picking a dark color like black or grey might mask the prominent lines that this car features. Would love to have the yellow highlighter color.

In conclusion........

Probably at the cost of higher fuel consumption.

For me you can never have a combination of everything.

Price
Features
Safety
Performance
Comfort

They give more of something, something else has to go. If they give everything price has to 'go'.

And i apologize in advance for probably being one of those 40hp drivers.

This post has been edited by aztechx: Jul 10 2016, 11:42 PM

Now that you've mentioned it

My color of choice would be the highlighter color. Looks really good from the review photos online.



For japan they can even choose the lining colors, not just in black, but brown or blue. If the white is non metallic i might have to either go for silver or orange.

Respraying the contrasting elements does sound interesting though. Opens up more color possibilities.

None at the moment. So far the car is still 'coming soon'

This post has been edited by aztechx: Jul 13 2016, 11:24 PM

Looks could be very subjective. Very different approach from the two giants

I believe in Japan theres an option for six seater wit the second row having an arm rest and cupholders. Will try to find a photo

Or are you referring to the drivers armrest?hopefully UMWT can still add on stuffs like these to suit local market conditions. Market here could be very different from Indonesia who might expect less.