Report: Quirky Toyota Previa minivan returning as PHEV, with EV variant

• The Toyota Previa was the automaker’s minivan in 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 remains one of the Japanese automaker’s most daring designs. And it might return with plug-in powertrains.

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

This report, which is based on conversations with an anonymous Toyota source, doesn’t mention the U.S. market. But the fact that the TNGA-K platform is already homologated for use here in so many other models could perhaps give Toyota a head start on making the new Previa U.S.-ready.

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

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

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

For the U.S., the Volkswagen ID.Buzz is the first time the minivan—or passenger van—has gone all-electric. But it might not be alone soon. Kia has teased another quirky possibility in the PV5, one of a series of electric vans based on an extremely modular architecture. And an all-electric Chrysler minivan is in the works—potentially as soon as 2027.