The 2021 Toyota The Sienna has a wilder exterior look than its predecessor. It has been redesigned with the aim of attracting more buyers. However, the redesign did more than just make the 2021 Sienna a winner in the eyes of buyers; this also made the new minivan safer than the 2020 model. How safe? Safe enough for win the highest possible Top Safety Pick + prize of the Insurance Institute for Road Safety (IIHS).
Submit his own to various tests
While the 2020 Sienna passed IIHS testing, it failed to earn the Top Safety Pick + award, thanks to less than good scores in both small overlap frontal crash tests (driver sides and passenger). Both tests were designed to replicate what happens when the front corner of the vehicle hits another vehicle, tree, or utility pole.
The 2021 Sienna passed those little overlap tests, scoring well on both tests. The video above is the driver-side small overlap frontal test involving the 2021 Sienna. The van was designed to travel at 40 mph toward a five-foot-high rigid barrier. About a quarter of the vehicle’s full width struck the barrier, with a Hybrid III dummy positioned in the driver’s seat.
High score in almost all test categories
After the driver’s side small overlap frontal test, the IIHS determined that the driver’s survival space was very well maintained, with a low risk of leg and foot injuries. Additionally, the van’s front and side curtain airbags worked well to prevent the mannequin’s head from hitting a rigid structure.
The 2021 Sienna also scored well in the other four impact resistance tests: moderate overlap in the front, sides, roof strength and headrests and seats. For collision avoidance and mitigation ratings, the van received a Good rating for its headlights as well as a Superior rating for the Front Vehicle Collision Prevention test.
Only advanced classification for the prevention of collisions between vehicles and pedestrians
Nonetheless, the Sienna was somewhat unsatisfactory in the 37 mph parallel scenario of the front vehicle-passenger crash prevention test. The Sienna’s collision warning system warned the driver only 1.8 seconds before impact. Still, the Sienna received an advanced rating for the vehicle-passenger frontal collision prevention test.
The IIHS has also found that the 2021 Sienna’s Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system is easy to locate and use.
Source: Insurance Institute for Road Safety
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