Unnamed Automotive Podcast · Unnamed Automotive Podcast

Episode 434: 2026 Toyota Sienna, The Hornet is Dead, The Bolt Is Almost Dead, Chinese EVs, Listener Questions

·51 min·3 clips

Dodge has discontinued the Hornet, and there is no 2026 model year version.

1. Unnamed Automotive Podcast Episode 434 focuses on the 2026 Toyota Sienna, the Dodge Hornet's end, the Chevy Bolt's reversal, Chinese EV tariffs, and listener questions. 2. Sami Haj Asad hosts with Benjamin Hunting, an automotive journalist who says his work appears at MotorTrend, driving.ca, and Hagerty. 3. The episode uses the Sienna review and the news roundup to ask which vehicles still make sense for families and buyers watching price, packaging, and EV policy. 4. Toyota Canada's press release calls the 2026 Sienna inspired by the Shinkansen, and Benjamin argues the comparison is wrong. 5. Benjamin compares the Sienna's shape to the Pontiac Transport and Chevrolet Lumina 'Dustbusters' instead of a bullet train. 6. He says the Shinkansen is impressive for its speed, station timing, and apology if it arrives early, and he uses that as a standard for planning. 7. The Sienna discussion turns to its hybrid-only setup, 245 horsepower from a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, and its status as the only hybrid all-wheel drive minivan. 8. Benjamin gives Canadian pricing at roughly $50,000 to $75,000 and says U.S. pricing starts around $40,000. 9. The hosts compare the Sienna with the Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Pacifica, and Kia Carnival, including the Carnival's hybrid powertrain and lounge seats. 10. Benjamin says the Sienna's biggest drawback is interior packaging, especially the loss of cargo space versus other vans. 11. He says minivans remain valuable because sliding doors, easy car-seat access, and rugged interiors help families and contractors. 12. Sami and Benjamin talk about hauling drywall, furniture from Facebook Marketplace, toy boxes, and play structures in a minivan. 13. Benjamin notes that top trims can include a vacuum, rear-seat entertainment, and a Miracast feature that he could not get working. 14. He says modern families often already have phones, tablets, and headphones, which makes built-in rear entertainment harder to justify. 15. The Sienna's powertrain gets criticized as buzzy and underwhelming on fuel economy, especially in winter driving. 16. Even so, Benjamin says the Sienna still drives smoothly, feels responsive enough with its electric motors, and can work well for accessibility conversions. 17. The show's tone is conversational and skeptical, with Sami and Benjamin trading jokes, personal anecdotes, and practical comparisons. 18. The format mixes a vehicle review with automotive news, moving from minivan design to tariffs and discontinued models. 19. Listeners who follow minivans, EV policy, and Canadian car pricing will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners who want a tight interview or no car-market digressions may skip it.

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