Quirky Toyota Previa minivan returning as PHEV, with EV variant

• The Toyota Previa was the automaker’s minivan within the ’90s
• Toyota might bring back the Previa nameplate
• The resurrected Previa might feature electrified powertrains

With its aerodynamic shape and mid-mounted engine, the Toyota Previa minivan stays certainly one of the Japanese automaker’s most daring designs. And it would return with plug-in powertrains.

In accordance with a report in Japan’s Best Automotive magazine spotted by Forbes, a brand new Previa is slated for a 2026 launch using the TNGA-K platform that underpins the Toyota Camry, Crown, and RAV4, amongst others, with the intention of accommodating each plug-in hybrid and all-electric powertrains. A hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain was also reportedly considered however the discarded.

This report, which is predicated on conversations with an anonymous Toyota source, doesn’t mention the U.S. market. However the proven fact that the TNGA-K platform is already homologated to be used here in so many other models could perhaps give Toyota a head start on making the recent Previa U.S.-ready.

Granted, the unique Previa wasn’t very successful within the U.S. While it gave Toyota an up-to-date entry within the then-booming minivan segment, sales steadily tapered off from its introduction in 1990 to its discontinuation in 1997. Just 3,780 were sold in that final yr, Forbes notes, before the Previa was replaced by the more conventional Toyota Sienna.

The Previa stood out because of its rounded exterior, often described as egg-like in period. The brand new Previa will reportedly feature similar styling, while offering seating for as much as seven. If it reaches the U.S., it is going to be a counterpoint to the Sienna, which is now hybrid-only, but still more conservative in design.

1991 Toyota Previa

Amongst U.S.-market minivans, all however the Honda Odyssey have switched to hybrid powertrains. The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has been a plug-in hybrid for years and as we have seen, can go greater than 30 miles without the engine.

For the U.S., the Volkswagen ID.Buzz is the primary time the minivan—or passenger van—has gone all-electric. Nevertheless it may not be alone soon. Kia has teased one other quirky possibility within the PV5, certainly one of a series of electrical vans based on an especially modular architecture. And an all-electric Chrysler minivan is within the works—potentially as soon as 2027.