2026 Toyota Previa.
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It seems Toyota has been working on a new generation of the Estima Minivan, which was known as the Previa in the US decades ago.
The Toyota Previa was sold over here from 1990 to 1997. Although it was available overseas until 2000. When it was replaced by a second generation we never had in the US. A third-generation Estima was introduced in Japan in 2006 and produced until 2019.
As we know, the Previa was replaced by the Toyota Sienna in North America starting in 1997. A much more conventional model based on a FWD platform instead of the innovative (weird?) mid-engine layout of the original Previa.
The 4th generation Sienna was introduced in 2020, with a standard Hybrid powertrain.
Rumors from Japan about an all-new Estima mention an EV or a new PHEV using Toyota’s upcoming 1.5 Liter Turbo engine. Or both!
The Japanese Estima minivan has always looked much more modern than our larger Previa. However, it seems the US minivan market could be moving to more modern designs. The new VW ID.BUZZ is both very modern and retro and it seems this would be exactly what Toyota is going for with a new Estima/Previa.
I am not sure if the new van could replace the Sienna in North America or not. But it sure would be nice to see a super cool van from Toyota over here instead of the soulless Sienna we’ve seen for so many years. A standard PHEV and EV as options would be fine as well. It is not such an impossible task since the Kia has already been offering the Niro as a hybrid, PHEV, or EV for a few years.
If Toyota is indeed working on a new Previa, it would really be a shame, not to steel it over here, wouldn’t it..