Here’s Why A Rumored Reborn Toyota Previa Should Make It To America

It’s been a buoyant few years for Toyota nameplates of the past, between anticipated revivals and actual revivals. We already have a new Supra, the Land Cruiser nameplate is back in America, and rumors of a reborn Celica are flying so frequently, they’re racking up Star Alliance miles. While there’s no word on a new Paseo yet, possibly because the general public hasn’t even thought of the Paseo in decades, talk of a new Previa — known as the Estima in Japan — is heating up, and if this gossip results in anything, it should absolutely make it across the Pacific.

Japanese motoring outlet Best Car claims that Toyota is looking to revive the Previa as soon as 2026, and if that timeline’s to be believed, Toyota would have to be working on a new Previa right now. What’s more, one of the weirdest minivans sold in America is rumored to be making an electrified comeback, with a green twist on a classic concept. As per Best Car:

The platform is the e-TNGA, a BEV-only platform that first appeared on the bz4X. Like the bz4X, the motor output is 203ps/27.1kgm, and it can be set up as a one-motor FWD or two-motor 4WD (X mode). The driving range on a single charge is about 600km.

Another electric minivan would be a great addition to the world, but don’t bet on this powertrain just yet. This week, Forbes reported that a reborn Previa might not run entirely on electrons, stating that “One contact inside Toyota—who wishes to remain anonymous, suggests that engineers will opt instead for the GA-K platform that underpins the Crown, Camry and RAV-4, so it will cater to both BEV and PHEV options.” A plug-in hybrid for those who don’t want a battery electric vehicle makes sense, and the power of choice would be a beautiful thing. In addition, both Forbes and Best Car claim that a reborn Previa would sport unique styling, which makes sense considering the Previa was always a bit out-there compared to, say, North American minivans.

For starters, it looked like absolutely nothing else out there. A one-box silhouette and seriously rounded styling made it look like a 1,700-kilogram gel capsule, or as it’s commonly referred to, like an egg. What’s more, if you popped the hood, you wouldn’t find the engine, because that was located within the wheelbase, making the Previa truly mid-engined. Of course, the mid-engined layout meant that there wasn’t really room for a V6, so Toyota resorted to forced induction for anyone who wanted more thrust than a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine could provide. Add in the option of all-wheel-drive, and with the right boxes ticked, you could end up with a supercharged all-wheel-drive mid-engined minivan.

This is a truly bonkers combination that appealed to nerds like us, but didn’t steal as much market share from established American competitors as Toyota had hoped. For the 1998 model year, the Previa was replaced in North America with the far more conventional Sienna, a minivan that didn’t just achieve what Toyota aimed for, but eventually became one of the most desirable new vehicles in America with waitlists and markups. Crazy.

However, while the U.S.-market Previa was a bit niche in its day, outside of America, the Previa was a hit. In fact, much of the world got two whole generations that America never saw, although they both abandoned the first Previa’s unusual mid-engined layout in favor of running on the platforms of the Camry and Corolla respectively. I particularly dig the look of the third-generation model, partly because it’s sleek and partly because it looks more modern than it actually is. For instance, the 2006 model featured a general headlight silhouette similar to that seen on the 2014 Corolla. The third-generation model also marked the appearance of a hybrid powertrain on the Previa, which would set the stage for other electrified Toyota minivans like the current Sienna.

America wasn’t ready for the Previa when it debuted for the 1991 model year, but the kids of those who were weirded out by Toyota’s egg-shaped van absolutely love it. This ovoid people mover has become a certified cult classic, with a passionate owner base, and media appearances like being animated into “The Rugrats” and being central to the theme of jazz-influenced avant-garde metal duo Clown Core’s 2020 album “Van”. Okay, so the Previa’s also a car for the terminally online, but we’re firmly in the age of the Reddit parent, so being terminally online just means being part of the culture.

Beyond that, the only true electric minivan sold in America is the Volkswagen ID.Buzz, and while it cashes in on 1960s nostalgia, not everyone can relate to that swinging decade. For new parents in America today who could really use a minivan, those around the median age would’ve experienced at least some of the 1990s when they were children, and since ’90s nostalgia is an industry in itself, Toyota could totally cash in on it with a reborn Previa.

Put the drivetrain from a Prius Prime in it to make it a PHEV, put bZ4X motors and a large battery pack in it to make it a BEV, just slap the corporate 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder hybrid setup in it, the power doesn’t matter so long as it looks like an egg. Not only would it appeal to those looking to bring a bit of their childhood into their children’s childhoods, if the Sienna is any indication, Toyota wouldn’t have any trouble selling a new Previa. This town truly is big enough for the two of them.

[Hat-tip to Forbestheweirdo!]

(Photo credits: Toyota)

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