SEMA 2010: Sienna Swagger Wagon Supreme pops some Viagra, grows 44 inches

Apparently stretched Toyotas are going to be a big thing at SEMA this year. After recently revealing Cartel's "All Stretched Out" Scion xB, it now appears that Toyota will also show off a limousine/rolling office Sienna at SEMA in order to commemorate the popularity of its "Swagger Wagon" video.

Built in partnership with B.A.D. Company, the V6-powered "Swagger Wagon Supreme" wears a coat of Blue Swagger Opal and been stretched 44 inches. Also, this Sienna now rides on 20-inch KMC rims that hide an airbag suspension setup to make it more comfortable and easier to drive on the open road (...).

Due to the 44-inch extension, the roof panel has been replaced with an acrylic unit measuring about 8 feet. The new roof is meant to improve the "functional family vehicle's" interior ambiance.

Toyota outfitted the Swagger Wagon's interior with standard XLE amenities, but B.A.D. Company is the firm that threw in some extra flavor in the form of reversible seat cushions (to appeal to both children and adults), swiveling captain's chairs (one of which is a massaging "Spa Seat"), a Brazilian cherry hardwood floor, full JBL audio system, and more. Go ahead and scroll down for the full list from the press release.

Barring the silly airbag setup, dubs, and mega extension, the interior of this looks fit to compete with all those fancy Escalade-based rolling offices. Sadly, the movers and shakers who purchase those wouldn't be caught dead in a Sienna.

By Phil Alex

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Sienna Swagger Wagon Supreme Features [from Press Release]

• Base Vehicle: 2011MY Sienna SE & 2011MY Sienna XLE

Mechanical
• Performance: 3.5L V6 with 6-Speed Automatic Transmission
• Mechanical Modifications: Body extension of nearly 4 feet (44")
• Airbag suspension system: ground clearance range from 2.5 to 6.5-inches
• 20-inch chrome wheels designed by KMC
• Nitto 255/40R20 tires in the rear and 245/45R20 in the front
• Functioning power windows on stretched section of vehicle

Exterior
• Custom fabricated rear spoiler
• Multiple-step exterior paint process
• Shaved door handles on automatic sliding doors
• Custom acrylic roof replacement (approximately eight-feet long)
• Custom chrome exhaust tips

Interior & Audio
• Custom seating with reversible cushions
• Two swiveling captain's chairs in passenger area
• "Spa Seat" equipped with a multi-function, programmable massage unit
• Foldable hide-away table in sitting area
• Custom cabinetry with a cherry veneer finish and DuPont countertop
• Glass-front refrigerator
• Lowered and leveled floor finished in Brazilian cherry hardwood
• 23"-inch HP TouchSmart computer mounted on a custom bracket allowing multiple viewing positions both inside and outside the vehicle
• Xbox gaming system with DVD player
• Custom JBL surround sound audio system

o Toyota Original Equipment head unit through a JBL MS8 signal processor

o Eight JBL GTO 428 speakers in the main cabin

o Two GTO 428 speakers in the rear hatch

o Two JBL GTO 804 sub-woofers

o Four amplifiers totaling1700 watts of power

Question: Will Ford keep the Flex, and Moreover, Should it?

Ford has barely been moving half of what it predicted at the low end of annual Flex sales. However, since its platform is so spread out through the FoMoCo portfolio, the Flex helps spread some costs around while giving Ford a big people-mover. But there's more to the Flex than just being a box on wheels, and not enough people get it yet.

With the new Explorer "SUV" coming out, people are insinuating that the Flex could be put down if it can't start pulling more of its weight. Some argue that the two vehicles are much too similar, both seating seven, offering AWD, and being "aimed squarely at families".

Yes, they are family cars, but for different kinds of families. Two related products with two unique customers? My goodness, good thing Ford has a marketing division.

What the naysayers don't seem to understand is that the Flex was never meant to be anything even close to Explorer competition. Those are two entirely different stories, different books, different genres. While the Explorer is still being pimped as an SUV, the Flex is Ford's answer to "What comes after the minivan?" (There's your marketing campaign, Ford). It's a stylish, premium successor to a class of vehicle that embarrassed a generation and created the dreaded Aerostar/Windstar/Freestar lineup.

In terms of character, the Flex has a lot things going for it. It is instantly recognizable, shrugged off its class's lame-o stigma, and it isn't called a minivan. Those three "bonuses" may also be its biggest problems, making it too different from its competition.

Minivan buyers, in my experience, don't seem to be interested in much more than basic functionality with some bells and whistles thrown in; that's fine. The minivan is a great tool for getting the kids to school, the dog to the groomer, and grandma over for Sunday dinners.

These are people who - no matter what the commercials push on you - usually don't need to stand out too much. Cool parents in a Toyota Sienna? Yeah, right. Ford wanted to change all that, and therein lies the problem. It scared people away by taking that big step away from friendly territory. Now they're paying for it, with Honda and Dodge slaughtering the Flex in sales.

Personal opinion: to make the transition a little easier while retaining its heritage and remaining familiar to consumers, Ford should have kept the sliding doors. They were never the problem with the minivan: everything else was.

There's no doubt the Flex will survive in the short term; as Mark Fields says, "[The Flex] is bringing in some very, very unique customers to our brand," making it significant for the time being. But can Ford's premium tourer stick around for dessert? It's up to marketing to find and convince those minivan owners or family types who are ready to take a step beyond minivan and try something different. For the sake of automotive funk, they better.

By Phil Alex

Source: Freep

What's One More? Toyota Announces Voluntary Safety Recall on 1998-2010 Sienna Minivans

In what is shaping up to be a huge corporate nightmare, Toyota today announced that it will launch yet another voluntary safety recall, this time involving approximately 600,000 first- and second-generation Sienna 2WD minivans sold in the U.S. to address potential corrosion in the spare tire carrier cable.

The Japanese automaker said that the recall affects certain 1998 through 2010 model year Siennas that have been primarily driven in cold climate areas with high road salt use.

Here's how Toyota describes the problem: "Continued prolonged exposure to road salts may cause excessive corrosion of the carrier cable in some of these vehicles. In the worst case, the carrier cable may fail and the spare tire could become separated from the vehicle, a road hazard for following vehicles that increases the likelihood of a crash."

The company said that it is currently working to develop a remedy for this condition adding that until it finds a solution, owners of the affected Sienna minivans will receive an interim notice instructing them to bring their vehicle to a dealership for a preliminary inspection.

Toyota Debuts Auto Access Seat for U.S. Market 2011 Sienna

Toyota chose the 2010 Detroit Show to unveil an Auto Access Seat designed for use in the all-new 2011 Sienna minivan, which goes on sale in the States in February 2010. The Auto Access Seat offers owners a transportation solution for elderly and disabled passengers or for that matter, anyone who may need assistance getting in or out of a vehicle.

The seat, which features a one-touch operation and has a lift capacity of up to 330 lbs, rotates 90 degrees and can be lowered to within 19 inches of the ground to further facilitate easier passenger transfers at the exact height required. It also allows up to four inches of slide travel and reclining of up to 24 degrees once the passenger is inside the car.

While we've seen most Japanese automakers offering this option in their domestic market models, Toyota is the first automaker in North America to offer a factory-installed, rotating, power ascending/descending lift-up seat in of its vehicles.

The Auto Access Seat will be available on Sienna LE and XLE models with the seat fabric matching the vehicle interior fabric. Toyota said that it will come with a three-year/36,000 mile factory warranty.