Seven minutes to the school gate, a client waiting in Westlands, and a spare tyre of a day ahead. Let us run the morning as a countdown and see how this Sienta handles it.

T minus 7. You climb in, and the first thing you notice is that you do not have to climb at all. The cabin sits at a friendly height, the sliding doors on both sides open wide, and the kids are buckled in before you have found your keys. Press the start button, and nothing happens. No roar, no shudder, just a quiet ready light. That is the hybrid system saying good morning in a whisper.

T minus 5. You reverse out of a tight space, and this is where the Sienta shows off. A 360 degree camera paints a bird’s eye picture of the whole car on the big touchscreen, with a live view of what is behind you beside it. Parking sensors chirp at both ends, and the car glides back on pure electric power without so much as a murmur. The neighbour’s gate post, which you have been politely avoiding for months, is no longer a threat.

T minus 3. Out on the road, heads are turning. This new shape Sienta is a different animal from the old boxy one. The paint is a deep metallic red that glows like cherry in the sun, set against a black roof that gives it a sharp, designer look. A bold chrome edged grille sweeps up into slim headlights, fog lights sit in sculpted corners, and the black and polished multi spoke alloys, wrapped in low profile tyres, give it a sporty stance that no one expects from a family car. The blue tinted Toyota badge and Hybrid lettering tell you what is happening under the skin.

T minus 1. Inside, the cabin is bright, playful and well finished. A thin orange accent line runs across the dashboard, matched by an orange quilted panel on the passenger side, chrome ringed cup holders and vents, and a steering wheel with orange detailing and your controls at your thumbs. The seats are grey and black fabric with soft contrast panels, comfortable and easy to keep clean, and the large touchscreen sits high where your eyes expect it. ECO and EV mode buttons sit right at your fingertips, so you decide whether the morning calls for maximum saving or a little more spirit.

Launch. The hybrid system pairs a 1.5 litre petrol engine with an electric motor so smoothly that you will stop noticing which one is working. Crawl through traffic and the car often runs silently on electric power. Join the highway and the engine wakes up without drama. And through all of it, the fuel gauge barely seems to move. Ride hailing drivers, school run parents, delivery businesses and anyone who has ever winced at a petrol receipt will notice the difference within the first week.

Landing. The Sienta is a proper family people carrier, with sliding rear doors, a flexible interior that folds and rearranges to suit passengers or luggage, and a tall roofline that makes loading kids, groceries and elderly relatives easy. It is compact enough for tight city parking and roomy enough for the full weekend.

Who is it for? The family that wants a smart, efficient, seven seat style people carrier without the running costs of a van. The ride hailing driver who wants the lowest possible fuel bill. The young professional who wants personality as well as practicality. And the buyer who has been looking for a new shape Sienta in a colour that stands out in a car park full of white and silver.

Mission accomplished. Come and see it, step inside, test the camera and feel how quietly it pulls away. Fair warning, once your family has ridden in a two tone red Sienta, the school gate will never look the same