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2018 Honda Odyssey bests Pacifica, Sienna in minivan crash, LATCH tests

Honda has a lot to be proud of following the latest round of passenger small-overlap crash testing by the IIHS. The safety organization tested the 2018 Honda Odyssey, 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Toyota Sienna, and the Odyssey managed the best rating of "Good." The Pacifica followed behind with an "Acceptable" rating, and the Sienna brought up the rear with just a "Marginal." Both the Pacifica and Sienna lost points because the structure around the passengers collapsed to differing extents, leading to parts of the structure intruding into the passenger compartment. The Pacifica didn't intrude enough to harm passengers, with each injury area still having a Good rating, but the Sienna's structure intruded far enough to potentially harm the leg and foot areas, leading to an Acceptable rating in those specific areas. In addition to the small overlap crash test, the IIHS evaluated all three minivans for LATCH child seat anchor ease of use. Once again, the Odyssey aced the test with a Good+ rating, which is awarded for both ease of use and offering multiple anchor point options. The Pacifica and Sienna swap the crash test ratings, with a Marginal for the Chrysler and an Acceptable for the Sienna. The Odyssey and Pacifica can both brag that they're Top Safety Picks, and they'd get Top Safety Pick+ awards if they weren't hampered by headlights that only get Acceptable ratings. The Toyota Sienna fails to earn the regular Top Safety Pick award because both small overlap tests yielded results that were too low. Only one other minivan tested by IIHS has the Top Safety Pick rating, and that's the Kia Sedona. It earns an Acceptable rating in LATCH usability, and its headlights actually earned a Good rating. It hasn't undergone passenger-side small overlap crash testing yet. If it fares well, it could get bumped up to a Top Safety Pick+ rating. Related Video: Image Credit: IIHS Chrysler Honda Toyota Safety Minivan/Van consumer toyota sienna chrysler pacifica IIHS Top Safety Pick

Akio Toyoda pledges return to WRC in 2017 with a Yaris

There have been rumors of Toyota returning to the World Rally Championship since the end of 2013, and a Yaris prepped by Toyota Motorsport in Germany has been caught on The Continent several times last year in testing. Akio Toyoda visited Rally Finland while we were there with Hyundai to watch a race up close, and he said that the passion people still had for Toyota's past exploits encouraged him. He finally answered the question about when they planned to enter the series, announcing in Tokyo that they'd line up for the season in 2017. The Japanese company, a legend in rallying, got into the sport in 1979 and left in 1999 after winning seven titles in ten years through the nineties with Carlos Sainz and Juha Kankkunen. The 2017 return is likely due to the regulation changes that year to allow more power than the roughly 300-horsepower in today's challengers and the switch to a fuel-flow formula to let manufacturers use different kinds of engines. Toyota has been sitting in on the WRC rules meetings, and the final slate of changes will be announced at the end of this year. The Yaris that's been testing is powered by a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder that meets current regulations, but we can expect it to change somewhat before it's race-ready. TMG will test the car for the next two years, then it will go up against fellow manufacturers Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Citroen, as well as Fords run by M-Sport. There's video of the Yaris running solo through the Belgian countryside above, and a gallery of the coming car below.

Toyota recalling 615k Sienna models over rollaway risk

Toyota has announced a recall affecting approximately 615,000 Sienna minivans due to a possible rollaway risk. All of the vehicles in question are from the 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009 model years.
In an official statement, the automaker states that the problem stems from the vehicle's shift lever assembly. "Because of the potential for damage to the shift lock solenoid installed in involved vehicles, there is a possibility that the shift lever could be moved out of the 'P' position without the driver depressing the brake pedal," Toyota said. Because of this fault, the affected Sienna models could roll away without warning, increasing the risk for a crash.
Owners will be notified via first class mail, and the affected Sienna models can be taken to Toyota dealerships to have the shift lock solenoid replaced with a new one. Have a look below for the automaker's official release.