We are becoming increasingly familiar with Toyota’s Crown nameplate in the United States automobile landscape. The Japanese automaker has expanded its offerings by introducing the Crown sedan to our market and has plans to unveil a Crown SUV, potentially named Crown Signia. In Japan, the Crown lineup is even more extensive, and Toyota has recently introduced the latest variant known as the Crown “sedan type.”
This particular model adheres more closely to the traditional form of the Crown nameplate—a large luxury sedan boasting rear-wheel drive and a tastefully conservative design. Unlike its predecessors, the new version features a slightly more dynamic appearance, reminiscent of the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai. With an extended wheelbase, it offers a spacious rear seat that can be customized with chauffeur-friendly amenities such as sizable rear headrests and a sunshade.
Under the hood, the Crown sedan comes equipped with a standard hybrid powertrain comprising a 2.5-litre gasoline engine. Toyota introduces a novel setup with two electric motors and a geared transmission, departing from the planetary gearset utilized in other hybrid models. Additionally, there’s a hydrogen fuel-cell version, presumably sharing a similar configuration with the Mirai. Remarkably, Toyota asserts that the Crown achieves a range of over 500 miles on a single tank.
In terms of pricing, the starting range in Japan varies from approximately $48,000 for the hybrid model to $55,000 for the fuel-cell variant. While Toyota plans to offer the Crown through a subscription service in Japan, exporting it to other markets seems unlikely at this point.
