The 2021 Toyota Sienna Still Isn’t Cool Enough For TRD
The 2021 Toyota Sienna was just revealed to the masses. It rides on a 4-cylinder hybridized powertrain with an available AWD package. The new exterior style of the Toyota is outlandish and bold, placing it at the top of the cool minivan competition.
However, there is one big thing we were hoping for that didn’t come about for the 2021 Sienna model year. No TRD package is available for the new minivan. Seriously? Even after it became available for the Toyota Camry and the Toyota Avalon, the Toyota Sienna still isn’t cool enough for TRD? Really? We don’t get it.
The Toyota Sienna SXE is the “sporty” minivan
The 2021 Toyota Sienna lineup is fire. We are extremely excited about it, being the minivan enthusiasts that we are, but we have one question. If the SXE is the sporty one, why isn’t TRD an option? By all accounts it makes sense that the minivan would become the next addition to Toyota’s TRD segment.
The 2021 Toyota Sienna SXE is the new Sienna lineup’s “sporty” offering. It hits the ground rolling on 20-inch upgraded wheels. Additionally, the SXE stands out with aggressive front and rear bumpers that look ready for action. In fact, there is so much about the SXE trim model that has us here at MotorBiscuit scratching our heads. Why it wasn’t given the option for a TRD package?
The Sienna now uses the more common TNGA underpinning, which is also what the Camry and Avalon are sitting on. A fact that makes it even more confusing that TRD isn’t offered as it wouldn’t have been difficult to integrate into the new Sienna. It comes with AWD. It comes with the a sporty red-stitched interior cabin. But, alas –– no TRD badges. The Sienna must be grounded from off-roading, because we don’t see any other reason for Toyota not to have made this available for its ever-popular, increasingly-versatile minivan.
What is TRD, anyway?
TRD stands for “Toyota Racing Development.” It is a popular option on beast-mode models like the Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Tacoma, and Toyota Tacoma. It is an off-road package that’s helped Toyota models stand out among others in their class for years. The Toyota Avalon and the Toyota Camry were gifted with this option for 2020, but the 2021 Toyota Sienna didn’t make the cut.
“With a history rich in motorsports, TRD engineers have continued to apply their knowledge to help enthusiasts get more performance from their vehicles, while maintaining factory levels of quality and reliability. Our TRD Pro Series vehicles are factory- tuned and built to take you way off-road. No off-the-shelf components here; our engineers spend countless hours designing, testing and tuning with passion.”
Toyota Motor Corporation
Maybe we will get a TRD Sienna someday
Though the 2020 Toyota Avalon is what MotorTrend calls “the unlikeliest TRD,” the 2021 Toyota Sienna was apparently not cool enough for Toyota to bestow upon it the famed TRD-tuned option. That doesn’t mean it never will, though, so we remain hopeful. As stoked as we are about the upcoming production of the Toyota Sienna’s 2021 model year, we’ll be waiting for that TRD package on the upcoming 2022 or 2023.
