
What if the Toyota Sienna was made for something more adventurous? Enter the Toyota Sienna SUV. According to motor trendIt’s a minivan monster. Here’s what you need to know about it.
Who made the Sienna SUV?
The Toyota Sienna is one of the most popular minivans in the US for news weekmore than 50,000 units sold in 2021, beating competitors Honda and Chrysler for the top spot. TrueCar ranks the Sienna as the second-best minivan on the market thanks to its fuel efficiency, cabin features, and optional all-wheel drive.
The off-road Toyota Sienna was manufactured by Toyota itself. The automaker took its seven-seater and upgraded it to the Toyota Ultimate Utility Vehicle (UUV). The UUV takes the chassis of the Toyota Tacoma pickup and places the Sienna body on that frame.
It debuted at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Marketing Association) show in 2015 and participated in Toyota Ever-Better Expedition, part of Toyota’s Global Driving Project, in November 2015. The Ever-Better Expedition was a 4,488-mile journey through Alaska and Canada over three months.
Toyota Sienna Off-Road Specifications
The Sienna’s body sits on top of the Tacoma’s frame for the special off-road model. Toyota then added running boards and fender flares for off-road conditions. There’s over a foot of wheel travel to handle any terrain. The chassis is raised to a higher ride height than the original Sienna and tall off-road tires are also added. The military-grade front bumper includes smoke, auxiliary lights, and a heavy-duty front winch.
For Toyota, there are many technological features inside the Off-road Sienna. Included is a mobile satellite TV receiver, 60 inch Sony LED TV, WiFi, 2500 watt JBL audio system, 17 inch monitor and night vision camera system.
Inside the cabin there are tables with laptop trays in the rear seats and captain’s chairs in the front. The sliding doors were designed to slide out rather than back to ensure enough interior and exterior clearance to accommodate the tires. The front doors also open from the front for easy entry and exit.
Will there be an off-road Toyota Sienna available in the US?
As it’s been seven years since the off-road Toyota Sienna was built for the SEMA auto show and the Ever-Better Expedition. Since then, there has been little talk of a possible production model coming close to the UUV’s specifications.
The closest Toyota has come to the UUV is the Sienna Woodland model. That takes the seven-seat Sienna and adds standard all-wheel drive. For motor trend, ground clearance has been increased from 6.3 to 6.9 inches. Features meant for the outdoors are included, such as roof rails, a trailer hitch, and a 1,500-watt power inverter.
But then again, this is nowhere near the amazing specs and features of the UUV. Perhaps with electric vehicle company Rivian creating outdoor camper vans, something a bit more similar could go into production in the future.