Toyota sold the Previa minivan in the U.S. for most of the 1990s. Called the Estima in Japan, it was largely known — and possibly avoided by U.S. consumers — for its polarizing dustbuster styling, but it also proved a weak competitor to the likes of the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager.
Yet the nameplate lived on in Japan until 2019, and it seems just the right sort of oddity to garner attention at RADwood gatherings celebrating cars of the 1980s and ‘90s. Now, Japanese magazine Best Car is reporting that the Previa will make its return in 2026 as both a battery-electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid.
The New Toyota Previa’s Underpinnings
According to Forbes, which spotted the Best Car cover story, the Previa was originally thought to return on Toyota’s e-TNGA platform for battery electric vehicles. This new report, though, has the anonymous source telling the magazine it would instead ride on the more prolific TNGA-K platform, selling with both BEV and PHEV powertrains.
Toyota doesn’t have a lot of all-electric powertrains in its catalog, so it seems reasonable that it would use a version of the bZ4X propulsion system for the all-electric Previa. As for the PHEV, Toyota currently uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder plug-in powertrain in the Prius, and one based on a 2.5-liter engine in the RAV4. In Japan, the Alphard and Vellfire PHEV minivans use the 2.5, so Toyota could choose to match the power of those, or go for more efficiency with the smaller-displacement I-4.
As for what’s on the outside, the Previa could reportedly take styling cues from the Fine Comfort Ride concept Toyota (pictured in the gallery above) displayed at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show.
Toyota Hedging Its Bets?
Toyota has been reluctant to commit to a strategy heavy in all-electric vehicles, opting instead to follow a hybrid-focused strategy. With the bZ4X far from being a sales hit, it makes sense for Toyota to offer a plug-in hybrid version of the Previa as well. Especially if Toyota can’t offer big range from its electric minivan, a PHEV should ensure those with range anxiety or who prefer the convenience of gas stations over public chargers can still cozy up to the Previa.
Interestingly enough, Best Car reports that the Previa was originally intended to be a hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle. Perhaps the Mirai’s (and FCEVs’ in general) lackluster sales scared Toyota off of that path.
No Word On U.S. Arrival
There are no reports as to whether the new Previa would come to the States. It seems like it could be a good fit, though it gives Toyota a chance to add another EV to its portfolio, and be the first to win the race to bring an electric minivan to the U.S. market. It could be a good complement to the Toyota Sienna minivan (pictured above), which is hybrid-only with no plug. The only other minivan with a plug is the
, which is a great minivan that has seen its share of reliability issues. If Toyota could lure customers to the Previa PHEV with the brand’s reputation for reliability and hybrid expertise.
If it borrows some of the funky, eggy design language from the previous Previa, it could also offer a fun alternative to the more conservative styling of the Sienna. It could also tap into the market of young families whose parents remember the Previa as children, as well as the growing nostalgia for automobiles of the 80s and 90s. Who knows? It just could be a hit.
Read the full article here