Toyota unveils new Sienna minivan at LA Auto Show

By ALEX VEIGA
AP BUSINESS WRITER

LOS ANGELES -- Toyota unveiled new versions of its Sienna minivan at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday, with an eye toward capturing a bigger slice of the minivan market.

The Sienna is currently lagging behind the top-selling Honda Odyssey, Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country. Toyota sold 75,509 Siennas in the first 11 months of this year.

Even if the Sienna grabs a larger piece of the pie, that pie has been shrinking. Minivan sales, already on a downward trend as families gravitated to crossovers and SUVs, fell 32 percent through November. Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. have pulled out of the minivan market altogether.

That isn't deterring Toyota.

"Other manufacturers have been leading this segment and we see an opportunity," said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. "We believe the minivan is poised to rebound and young families will lead the way."

The 2011 Sienna is the third-generation of the model and Toyota packed the new design with features that it hopes will set the Sienna apart from other vehicles in its class.

Among the fancier options available are dual-power sliding doors, a panoramic rearview camera monitor and a 16.4-inch flat-screen television that flips open from the ceiling. Passengers can view a movie on the full screen or go into a split-screen setting and view a movie on one side while playing a video game on the other.

The Sienna boasts wider doors than previous models and can accommodate up to eight passengers. The second-row seats can be shifted forward behind the front seats, and the third-row seats can be stowed flat, creating a cargo-carrying area that's about eight feet long and four feet wide, Toyota said.

Sienna will be available in five variations, including a sporty SE and a high-end Limited edition. Toyota is offering two engine types for the Sienna - a 2.7-liter, four-cylinder engine or a 3.5-liter, 266-horsepower V6.

The Sienna hits showrooms in February, although Toyota won't say yet what its starting price will be.

Carter noted it will be priced lower than the current model, however. On the company's Web site, the Sienna is listed as starting at $24,540.

2010 Best Resale Value Awards

http://www.kbb.com/car-awards/best-resale-value-awards

While most car buyers today consider sticker price the most significant number when choosing a new vehicle, our editors recommend taking a closer look at a number Kelley Blue Book is expert in calculating: its resale value. Depreciation often is the greatest expense incurred by drivers during the first five years of vehicle ownership, so choosing a vehicle that retains its value better than others is important in keeping your total ownership cost low. The Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards recognize automakers' outstanding achievements in producing vehicles that best retain their value. In addition to the mainstream and luxury brands with the best projected resale values across their entire vehicle lines, awards are presented to top vehicles within 16 vehicle categories and for the overall top 10 vehicles across all categories.

Best Brand – Toyota
Best Luxury Brand - Lexus
Best in Category Mid-Size Pickup: Tacoma
Mid-Size SUV – Highlander
Hybrid – PRIUS

Toyota Engineers New Flower Species to Absorb Emissions at Prius Factories

The flowers have been engineered specifically to absorb nitrogen oxides, and remove heat from the atmosphere. Fast Company explains: "Toyota's flowers are derivatives of cherry sage and gardenia that effectively absorb nitrogen oxides and remove heat from the atmosphere." The absorbed gases makes for lowered surface temperatures around the factory grounds--which means less energy used on cooling the plant.