The Toyota Previa is a minivan that Toyota built from 1990 until October 2019 across three generations. It was sold as the Toyota Estima in Japan and the Toyota Tarago in Australia. Production of the Estima ended on 17 October 2019, and Toyota Australia dropped the Tarago from its line-up in 2019 as well, so the 2019 model year was the last for the nameplate. The Previa badge itself had not been used in the United States since the 1990s: US sales of the first-generation Previa ended after the 1997 model year, replaced by the Sienna.
What the Previa was
The Previa was Toyota’s large family minivan, sitting below the more luxurious Alphard and Vellfire in Japan. It was sold with sliding rear doors on both sides and seating for six, seven or eight people, depending on the generation and market. Toyota’s full-size minivan was never offered in the US after the first generation, because American buyers were given the Camry-based Sienna instead.
First generation: the mid-engine egg
The first-generation Previa went on sale in 1990 and was famous for its rounded shape, which earned it nicknames such as “eggvan” and “beans” in the US and “Wombat” in Australia; in Japan it was marketed with the “genius egg” catchphrase. It used a mid-mounted 2.4-liter four-cylinder, code 2TZ-FE, producing 99 kW (133 hp) and 206 Nm, driving the rear or all four wheels. From the 1994 model year Toyota added a supercharged 2.4-liter engine, code 2TZ-FZE, rated at 120 kW (161 hp) and 273 Nm. The US five-speed manual was dropped for 1994. US Previa sales ended after 1997. Because the engine was mid-mounted and laid almost flat, all the engine-driven accessories — alternator, power steering pump, air-conditioning compressor and radiator fan — were driven from the front by an accessory driveshaft Toyota called the Supplemental Accessory Drive System (SADS), and a two-liter oil reservoir sat under the hood. The layout spread weight evenly but ruled out larger engines.
Second generation: front-wheel drive
The second generation arrived on 8 January 2000 and switched to a conventional front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout based on the Camry platform. It was longer between the axles and both narrower and lower than the original, and it was not sold in North America. A facelift arrived in July 2003. European buyers could choose a 2.0-liter 1CD-FTV diesel producing 85 kW (116 PS) or a 2.4-liter 2AZ-FE gasoline engine producing 115 kW (156 PS); Australian cars used the 2.4-liter gasoline engine with a four-speed automatic.
Third generation (2006–2019)
The third generation, coded XR50, went on sale in 2006 in Japan and Australia as the Estima and Tarago, and as the Previa in other markets. It was never sold in Europe. Features included an available hybrid drivetrain in Japan, automatic parallel and reverse parking, lane-keep assist and adaptive front lighting. The range received a facelift in 2008, another in 2009, and a major update in 2016.
The third-generation range used two main engines. A 2.4-liter four-cylinder, code 2AZ-FE, produced 170 PS (125 kW) and 224 Nm after the 2016 facelift, and a 3.5-liter V6, code 2GR-FE, produced 202 kW (271 hp) and 340 Nm in the Australian Tarago GSR50R. A 2.4-liter hybrid with electric all-wheel drive, called E-Four, was sold in Japan and China. The 2016 facelift dropped the 3.5-liter V6, leaving the 2.4-liter four-cylinder and the hybrid.
| Toyota Previa / Estima / Tarago | Specification |
|---|---|
| Production | 1990 – October 2019 |
| Also called | Estima (Japan), Tarago (Australia) |
| Third generation | XR50, 2006–2019 |
| Engines (third gen) | 2.4 L 2AZ-FE I4; 3.5 L 2GR-FE V6; 2.4 L hybrid |
| 2.4 L output | 170 PS (125 kW), 224 Nm (post-2016) |
| 3.5 L output | 202 kW (271 hp), 340 Nm (Tarago) |
| US sales | 1991–1997 only |
Why there is no 2019 Previa in the US
Toyota stopped selling the Previa in the United States after 1997, so a 2019 Previa was never a US model. The name survived elsewhere: the Estima ran in Japan until October 2019 and the Tarago in Australia until 2019. Buyers searching for a 2019 Previa are therefore looking at the final year of the third-generation Estima or Tarago, which used the 2.4-liter four-cylinder or the hybrid rather than the earlier V6.
Smaller and larger alternatives
Within Toyota’s minivan range the Previa was the largest model below the Alphard/Vellfire, and it sat above the compact Sienta, which is covered on this site as the 2019 Toyota Sienta Price, Release Date and Redesign. Commercial buyers who needed a van rather than a minivan had the HiAce, sold in South Africa as the Quantum and covered as the 2019 Toyota Quantum Release Date and Redesign.
End of the line
Toyota ended Estima production on 17 October 2019 after about 30 years, as buyers moved toward the Alphard and Vellfire and toward SUVs. The Tarago was retired from the Australian line-up the same year. Toyota did not replace either car with a direct minivan successor, and the Sienna continued to serve the North American market, where the Previa had not been offered since the 1990s.
Previa at a glance
- Names: Previa (US, UK), Estima (Japan), Tarago (Australia)
- Production: 1990 – October 2019, three generations
- First generation: mid-engine, rear- or all-wheel drive
- Second generation: front-wheel drive, Camry-based
- Third generation: XR50, 2006–2019
- US sales: 1991–1997 only, then replaced by the Sienna
- Final engines: 2.4 L I4 and 2.4 L hybrid (V6 dropped in 2016)
