2025 Toyota Sienna Has Rear Seat Radar for More Safety

Also added: the in-cabin fridge and vacuum the minivan was meant to launch with in 2021.

The rule of three is a real thing in the minivan market. With just four competitors remaining in North America, 75 percent of the competitors tend to see big news right around the same time. It happened in 2021, when Toyota launched a new Sienna, Chrysler refreshed the Pacifica, and Kia introduced the Carnival. Four years later, the Carnival has a new look and new hybrid system and Honda’s done a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Odyssey update. Now the Toyota Sienna is freshening up, with a big focus on convenience and safety tech for the hybrid minivan.

Toyota is trumpeting the addition of an Advanced Rear Seat Reminder (ARSR) for its family hauler. Using a millimeter-wave radar sensor in the headliner, the system can detect the movement of pets or children in the second and third rows—even under a blanket, or in low-light situations. It works two ways, depending on whether the Sienna’s doors have been locked after parking, turning off, and the driver’s door opening and closing. When locked and movement is detected, the cascade goes like this:

• A flash of the hazard lights and nine door lock chimes.
• After 90 seconds, the horn activates.
• Four minutes later, the customer receives an automated text and an alert in the Toyota app.
• Two minutes after that, an automated call from Toyota Safety.

The situation is slightly different if the Sienna is left unlocked: first, there’s a warning in the instrument cluster. If the driver exits the vehicle and ARSR detects movement, after 10 minutes the automated text and in-app notification go out; the automated call then again comes two minutes after that.

There’s a catch, of course: those latter two steps require a subscription to Safety Connect. The ARSR press release states up to a 10-year trial is included, but the accompanying spec sheet shows just a one-year trial for all 2025 Siennas.

Beyond the new safety feature, the 2025 Sienna finally reinstates the in-cabin vacuum and fridge—sorry, FridgeBox—this generation was meant to have back in 2021. (A supplier bankruptcy nixed both mere weeks before launch.) Both are packed into the back of the center console, accessible from the second row. The pairing is available on the Limited trim, and standard on the Platinum.

Toyota is finally booting Entune out of the Sienna, bringing in its latest infotainment system instead. The base LE trim sticks to an 8.0-inch screen, while every other model sees a 12.3-inch unit atop the dashboard. From the mid-level XSE up through Woodlands, Limited, and Platinum, there’s now a fully digital instrument cluster in the same size. An improved wireless charger is standard on all trims, with most in-cabin USB ports moving to C; a lone A remains in the front dash. Other standard kit includes three-zone climate control and six- or eight-speaker sound systems, with most higher trims subbing in a 12-speaker JBL setup. A 360-degree camera is still locked to the top trim only. Other Platinum goodies include a 10.0-inch head up display.

Fabric seats are standard on the LE, with SofTex for XLE, Woodlands, and XSE. The Platinum and Limited bring in leather, in two-tone or plain black. The center console gets different finishes depending on trim as well, with a woodgrain look on those two top trims.

Rounding out the visual updates are new wheels on certain trims, including very pretty items on the Platinum. A Magnetic Gray Metallic joins the exterior paint roster, and all models gain the “Beyond Zero” badging making its way across Toyota’s electrified lineup.

Sienna will continue to come standard as a hybrid, with the option of front- or all-wheel drive. Pricing starts from $40,635 for the LE FWD in America including the $1,450 in destination charges. Expect the refreshed minivans to arrive in dealers later this fall.

Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.