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The new and redesigned 2021 Toyota Sienna takes big strides forward when it comes to crash safety, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It earns the highest possible Top Safety Pick+ award for 2021, whereas the previous Sienna received no accolades.

Most tests saw the 2020 Sienna earn applaudable scores, but it didn't do so well with both small overlap front crash tests. Toyota appears to have addressed the previous model's shortcomings, as it scored a "Good" rating in both overlap tests this year. The IIHS says the outgoing Sienna fell short because "the occupant's survival space was not maintained well" in either small overlap front crash test. Those structural issues didn't present themselves in the 2021 Sienna, and IIHS testing found no evidence of a heightened risk of injury to the driver or passenger.

In the minivan world, the 2021 Toyota Sienna is a very big deal. For starters, there aren't a lot of minivan models any more ­– four in fact ­­­– so any completely redesigned version is noteworthy. Yet, this is also the first all-new Sienna in 10 years; a much lengthier gap between generations than usual, and one that resulted in its predecessor getting awfully long in the tooth despite consistent updates. A new Sienna has therefore been overdue, but Toyota at least used the extra years to develop a van that moves the ball far downfield.

What's under a minivan's hood rarely makes headlines, but in this case, it does. Every 2021 Sienna is a hybrid, foregoing the usual V6 and its low-20s-mpg fuel economy in favor of Toyota's familiar gasoline-electric powertrain that returns an EPA-estimated 36 mpg combined. Sure, it's not quite as quick as those V6-powered vans, but we're not sure how much minivan buyers will care about that. The Chrysler Pacifica is the only other minivan available as a hybrid, but that's a plug-in hybrid model that provides some all-electric range and carries a higher initial price tag.

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder. They kick things off by talking about driving the all-new, 2021 Toyota Sienna hybrid minivan and Genesis G80 luxury sedan. Next, they talk about what of GM vehicles Autoblog staff members would like to restomod with the new Connect and Cruise eCrate motor and battery package. They also discuss the pros and cons of Ford CEO Jim Farley's decision to continue racing. Finally, they reach into the mailbag and help a listener pick a new car to replace a 2016 Mazda Miata.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The minivan segment isn't a huge one, and it's largely dominated by three players. There's the stylish Chrysler Pacifica, with the excellent plug-in hybrid option. The Honda Odyssey unapologetically leans into its minivan-ness and family-hauling duties. Then there's the new, totally redesigned 2021 Toyota Sienna. Its selling points are immediately apparent: unique styling, a standard hybrid powertrain and available all-wheel drive. Oh, and it's a Toyota, which precedes itself with a reputation for reliability and utility, as well as a huge existing customer base. Barring some sort of dealbreaker in the test drive, this blend of existing traits (brand, AWD) and new ones (design, hybrid only) should probably be enough to make the Sienna appealing to those shopping in this lightly stocked aisle.

Spoiler alert: we found no dealbreakers during our test drive, but we were able to dig deeper into what we love, what we like and what we can accept.

Toyota just revealed the 2021 Toyota Sienna and 2021 Toyota Venza, both of which are hybrids. At a virtual press conference for the media, several Toyota designers went into greater detail about the new Sienna's design. As it stands, minivans don't sell that well compared to their crossover and SUV rivals. Toyota thinks it has an answer to this problem with the redesigned Sienna.

"It's combining the best aspects of a minivan with an SUV," says Bob Carter, Executive VP of Sales for Toyota.

There's a new minivan on the block. It's the 2021 Toyota Sienna, and the van is totally new from the ground up. Toyota hasn't given us a fresh new Sienna since the current-generation hit the roads for the 2011 model year, so this one is a long time coming. The big news here is the single hybrid powertrain choice Toyota is introducing to the new Sienna. There will be no gas-only option, and there will be no PHEV "Prime" option either.

We'll get into powertrain specifics in a second, but the Sienna's new design inside and out is another huge change. Toyota describes it as a minivan with SUV styling characteristics. One look at RAV4 sales is all you need to know why Toyota wanted to make the Sienna remind people of SUVs. Still, the traditional minivan shape is still very much intact with the short hood and long boxed-off body. The muscular flair and lines arcing down the side, though … that sculpting gives this minivan a much more crossover-like look and an air of aggression not seen in the minivan market today. As we bend around to the back, those taillights catch our eye immediately. The way the bottom black trim piece droops sharply downward, it reminds us of the Atlanta Falcons logo. That rear hatch is full of curves and things that pop out at you, too. The little tail that juts out above the "Sienna" logo even reminds us of the Supra's tail. Bravo, Toyota.