Toyota Sienta gets a facelift

By Karuga wa Njuguna

The Toyota Sienta is a small five-door minivan with sliding doors also known as the 'walk-in mode'It has become very popular of late on Kenyan roads because it has enough power both in the highway and in the city streets even if the car is full.Introduced in September 2003, it seats seven despite its very small size.The Toyota Sienta is a three-row, seven seater compact MPV based on the popular Vitz subcompact. Built as a fun family vehicle, the Sienta comes with a distinct front and a lavish interior.

Powered by a 1.5 liter petrol VVT-i engine capable of 110 bhp (82 kW) at 6000 rpm, the Sienta comes equipped with Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with four forward gears for smooth effortless cruising. ABS and EBD,airbags are standard safety features.The interior is highly flexible with the seats able to be knocked down in various configurations to accommodate varying luggage sizes. Multiple compartments are available in convenient areas of the cabin for easy storage of small items. Large sliding doors at the rear ensures ease of entry for passengers. The car has easy maintenance, low fuel consumption for an MPV ranging from 12 km/l to 16 km/l which is really affordable to many Kenyans.

Toyota Sienta is commonly used in Kenya as a PSV car. Love it or hate the Toyota Sienta, This car has become popular in many towns in Kenyan giving National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) sleepless nights. The seven seater has now been converted into a nine seater in Narok, Meru, Nyeri among other places and used to do illegal matatu business. Matatu Saccos in the affected areas want those illegal operators to pay tax, have those vehicles inspected and fixed with speed governors.. This car is referred to as "Shorio" in Nyeri. Depending on the year of manufacture and the condition ,the car retails between five hundred thousand shillings to eight hundred thousand shillings at local dealerships. This year 2015 the car has been upgraded and give a new facelift into a new shape. Just to mention, it has come with loads of improvement Seven, six and five seater options are available, with the latter limited to the wheelchair friendly variant. Both second and third row seats are split 50:50; the sliding and reclining second row folds and tumbles forward at the pull of a lever, leaving space for the third row to fold and slide forward into its place. Buyers get a choice between two powertrains there’s the new 2NR-FKE 1.5 litre VVT-iE Atkinson-cycle petrol engine mated to a CVT, pushing out 109 hp and 136 Nm (103 hp and 132 Nm with all-wheel drive), as well as a hybrid variant with a 1NZ-FXE 1.5 litre Atkinson-cycle mill that churns out 74 hp and 111 Nm. The Hybrid achieves 27.2 km per litre on the JC08 fuel consumption cycle, while the petrol variant musters 20.6 km per litre; both are fitted with auto start-stop as standard.

Safety-wise, all new Sienta models can be specified with Toyota’s new Safety Sense C collision avoidance system, utilising a laser radar system and a single camera – this adds Pre-Collision System (PCS) braking at speeds between 10-80 km/h, Lane Departure Alert (LDA) and Automatic High Beam (AHB). Also optional on all models are side and curtain airbags, making it six in total; stability control, Hill Start Assist (HSA) and second-row Isofix child seat mounts (outer two seats) are standard-fit.