Toyota Revives Crown Marque for U.S. With Fullsize Sedan

Toyota introduces the ’23 Crown, a fullsize 4-door sedan offering standard all-wheel drive and a choice of two hybrid powertrains, to the U.S. market where earlier generations of the Crown were sold from 1958-72.

The Crown’s CUV-like ride height – it sits nearly 4.0 ins. (102 mm) higher than the Toyota Camry midsize sedan – and fastback silhouette set it apart from other fullsize sedans such as the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Nissan Maxima and Volkswagen Arteon.

Toyota says the Crown, offered in XLE, Limited and Platinum trim levels, will arrive in showrooms later this year but doesn’t disclose pricing.

Toyota’s all-new Hybrid Max powertrain, exclusive to the Platinum trim level, pairs a turbocharged 2.4L inline 4-cyl. and rear-wheel e-axle with a 6-speed automatic transmission to produce 340 hp, reach peak torque between 2,000-3,000 rpm and a manufacturer-estimated combined city/highway fuel-economy rating of 28 mpg (8.4 L/100 km). Driving modes are Normal, Eco, Sport, Sport+, Comfort and Custom.

The XLE and Limited trim levels are equipped with the Toyota Hybrid System with a 2.5L 4-gasoline cyl., two electric motors and a continuously variable transmission that can achieve a manufacturer-estimated combined city/highway rating of 38 mpg (6.2 L/100 km). Normal, Eco and Sport driving modes are offered. In addition, an EV (Electric Vehicle) mode allows electric-only driving at low speeds for short distances.

Toyota Crown info screen

The XLE trim level also includes 19-in. alloy wheels, heated and powered front seats and the Toyota Multimedia System with a 12.3-in. (31-cm) touchscreen (pictured, above) and six speakers.

The Limited grade adds multibeam LED headlights, a fixed panoramic roof, leather-trimmed seats that are heated and ventilated up front and heated in the rear, an 11-speaker JBL audio system and rain-sensing windshield wipers. An available Advanced Technology package adds dark metallic 21-in., 10-spoke alloy wheels, a birds-eye view camera and a digital key (with Remote Connect subscription).

Toyota Crown front 1.4 2-tone

The Platinum trim level includes everything on XLE and Limited. In addition to the Hybrid Max powertrain and six selectable drive modes, Platinum offers Advanced Park and 21-in. machined 10-spoke alloy wheels with black accents. Toyota’s first-ever bi-tone paint option pairs black paint extending from the hood to the trunk with Oxygen White, Heavy Metal, Supersonic Red (pictured, above) or Bronze Age color.

The Crown’s overall length is 194 ins. (4,928 mm), width is 72.4 ins. (1,839 mm), wheelbase is 112.2 ins. (2,850 mm) and height is 60.6 ins. (1,539 mm), compared to Camry’s 56.9 ins. (1,445 mm). The sedan’s TNGA-K platform allows front MacPherson-type strut and rear, higher-rigidity multi-link suspension tuning for agile handling agility and a quiet ride, Toyota says.

Inside (pictured, below) are standard 8-way power adjustable driver and front passenger seats, dual-zone climate control, wireless smartphone charger, USB-Type A and 12V charging ports inside the console and two USB-Type C terminals front and rear.

Toyota Crown cabin

Enhanced connectivity features include over-the-air updates; touch- and voice-activated controls for audio, navigation, cabin temperature and more; and simultaneous dual Bluetooth phone connectivity with support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. A Wi-Fi Connect subscription offers 4G connectivity for up to five devices.

The standard Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 package includes Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Lane Tracing Assist, Road Sign Assist, Rear Seat Reminder, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

The Crown comes with a free one-year trial subscription to Toyota Safety Connect, which includes Emergency Assistance, Stolen Vehicle Locator, Roadside Assistance and Automatic Collision Notification.