The Previa was Toyota's second attempt in the minivan market. Released in 1990 as the replacement for the Toyota Van, the Previa was a rear-wheel-drive vehicle with optional full-time four-wheel drive. It was powered by a sole 2.4-liter twin-cam 4-cylinder capable of producing 138 horsepower that was mounted below the front seats.

In 1992, the Toyota Previa added a driver-side airbag, knee bolsters under the dashboard, and a center high-mount rear stoplight. This become the first minivan to meet all passenger-car safety requirements. The antilock brakes become an optional feature on the Deluxe models as well as LE models during the same year.

Two years later, Toyota Previa gave the standard passenger-side airbag as a standard to models with supercharged engine also became available. Additional trims such as the LE S/C and LE S/C All-Trac models came in the same year. The S/C models was equipped with the supercharged version of the Previa's 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that was rated at 161 horsepower at 5000 rpm and 201 pound-feet of torque at 3600 rpm. During, this year, the Previa dropped the 5-speed manual transmission and offered the 4-speed automatic to all its trims. The 1994 Previa was view with a new steering wheel, a pull-down strap on the inside of the rear liftgate, new front buckets seats with adjustable headrests, and a new front bumper and spoiler.

In 1995, the DX model also offered the supercharged engine on a lower price. A year later, all Previas were offered with the supercharged engine. The models were trimmed down from eight to four: DX S/C 2WD, DX S/C All-Trac, LE S/C 2WD, and LE S/C All-Trac. The 1997 marked the last year of the Previa as it was replaced by the Toyota Sienna