Test drive: 2022 Toyota Sienna Woodland
The 2022 Toyota Sienna Woodland is the first minivan designed with some off-road capability, so that's where Fox News Autos Editor Gary Gastelu went to try it out.
Minivan sales were up 14% last year, and they're so hot that even robots are driving them.
Autonomous tech company Aurora has started testing Toyota Sienna minivans equipped with its Aurora Driver technology in the Dallas Fort-Worth area with two human backup drivers on board, for now.
The vehicles are operating on a simulated ride-hailing route that includes highway travel up to 70 mph, which is a faster speed than some other autonomous passenger vehicles are currently being tested at on public roads.
"The route showcases Aurora's ability to safely operate at highway speeds, a key technical differentiator that allows it to prioritize popular and lucrative rides," the Aurora said, highlighting the importance of airport runs to livery services.
A Toyota spokesperson told Fox News Autos that it has created a version of the Indiana-built minivan that can work as an autonomous test platform it calls Autono-MaaS (S-AM) that can be used by various companies and is agnostic to the technology installed. May Mobility is also evaluating it for use in a shuttle fleet.
The Aurora vehicles feature an array of sensors that includes the company's FirstLight Lidar, which helps enable the high speed driving and is also being tested for use on semi trucks.
The Dallas test is partly focused on mastering U-turns, high-speed merges, lane change and the detection of obstacles, including motorcycles and construction vehicles.
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Plans for the launch of a publicly available taxi service have not been announced.