Cars - Toyota Previa

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	Cars - Toyota Previa

The Toyota Previa is a minivan produced by Toyota Motor Corporation since 1990 and sold in two generations so far. It is the export version of the Toyota Estima
minivan made for the Japanese market, and is sold in Australia as the Toyota Tarago.

The first generation had only one sliding side door for the rear passengers and it was introduced to the market in 1990. It featured a unique platform, where the 4-cylinder gasoline-powered engine was installed almost flat, beneath the first row of seats. All supplementary mechanisms, such as the alternator and cooling system, are accessible from the front hood. This allows for a very even front/rear weight distribution which has positive consequences for ride and handling. However, this also prevents the installation of a larger engine, while the cost could not be relayed by sharing the platform with other vehicles.

The first generation Previa was 4750 mm long and 1803 mm wide, which was longer and wider than an important tax bracket (4700 mm long and 1700 mm wide) in Japan pre-1989, so a shorter and narrower version was launched in Japan alongside it. These versions are badged as the Toyota Estima Emina and the Toyota Estima Lucida.

The first generation Previa was available in both rear- and all-wheel drive versions and powered by a 135 hp JIS (99 kW) 4-cylinder 2.4 L fuel injection engine. Available with a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual gearbox, this Previa also seated seven people, with two seating configurations offered. Both configurations have a driver and front passenger seat forward, and a three-seat bench seat at the rear that splits and folds flat against the sides of the cabin, one configuration contains a two-seat bench seat in the middle row, while the other configuration contains two independently swiveling "captain" chairs in the middle row.

In the United States the Previa was sold from 1991 until 1997. It was imported as-is from Europe to compete with Chrysler Corporation's wildly successful minivan Dodge Caravan and its twins Chrysler Town and Country and Plymouth Voyager. The inability to increase engine size proved a significant problem as American drivers were used to having more power and the Chrysler models were sold with available V6 engines. Starting in 1994, Toyota solved this problem by adding a supercharger, bringing the engine power up to a competitive 160 hp (119 kW). Previa's "egg-shaped" design fell behind other minivans on the market and was discontinued with the 1997 model year, being replaced by the more traditionally designed Sienna.

The first generation was still sold on the other markets until the 2000, when a new dynamically designed second generation replaced it. The second generation Previa is slightly longer (4780 mm) and narrower (1790 mm) than the first one, it is produced with passenger doors on both sides offering a place for up to six, seven or eight passengers, a front wheel drive and it shares its platform with a number of Toyota's mid-size sedans. As with the first generation, it is also sold under the Estima name on the Japanese market and in 2003 it was slightly redesigned.

Models sold on the European markets are available with both gasoline and diesel-powered 4-cylinder engines. The diesel engine is a 2.0 L with 116 hp (85 kW) and the gasoline-powered one is a 2.4 L with 156 hp (115 kW). Both models feature a 5-speed manual transmission as the part of standard equipment, while a 4-speed automatic is available as an option on gasoline-powered model. A hybrid-electric version of the Tarago is available in Japan.

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Cars - Toyota Previa

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