Cat A Toyota Sienta Hybrid officially headed for Singapore

SINGAPORE — The all-new Toyota Sienta Hybrid is set to be introduced in Singapore by official Toyota distributor in mid-October, offering yet another option for those looking for an affordable seven-seater hybrid family car that’s sold through official channels.

Details of the official Sienta Hybrid that will be sold by Borneo are still scarce at the moment, but CarBuyer understands that the car will have a 1.5-litre hybrid drivetrain that produces 114hp taken from the Toyota Aqua (previously the Prius C), which qualifies it for a Cat A COE. It also means that the Sienta Hybrid will be one of the few seven-seaters competing in Cat A, alongside rivals like the Honda Freed.

The new Sienta features a taller and boxier design over its predecessor, with rounded corners and squares being a noted theme throughout the car. The side features plastic protection mouldings on the lower doors which offers added functionality to absorb dings and dents, while the car is also 10mm higher for more interior headroom.

Borneo has yet to confirm the spec for the Sienta Hybrid that it is bringing in, but at the minimum the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) suite of active driver safety systems is expected to be included. Among the features that will be part of TSS include pre-collision safety, which can detect motorcyclists, pedestrians, and cyclists and brake to avoid collisions or reduce damage. 

It also includes Proactive Driving Assist, which “subtly assists drivers when driving on ordinary roads” and “supports avoidance steering and deceleration to avoid getting too close to pedestrians, cyclists, and parked vehicles by anticipating risks according to the driving situation, such as pedestrians crossing the road or vehicles that may suddenly start moving.”

Official pricing details for the Sienta Hybrid have yet to be released, but the car will apparently fall under VES band A2, which nets it a S$15,000 rebate that should result in significant savings over the outgoing model. The current Sienta being sold by Borneo Motors is a non-hybrid model that falls into the neutral B band, but with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) set to implement tighter standards in 2024, going hybrid will be the only way for cars like the Sienta to remain affordable and competitive in the market.

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