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The Toyota Crown debuted in Japan in 1955 but came to the US as the 1958 model after three Toyota delegates introduced it at a PR event. At the time, the Crown was a tough cookie, made for unpaved and rough Japanese roads. When it came to America, it was built sturdy but way too heavy for any semblance of speed. America liked its toughness but it lagged in traffic on speedy roads, making it fail in a country that had a growing need for speed.
The second problem with the Toyota Crown in America, was that it came as the Toyopet Crown, which made it sound funny and did not endear it to people who were used to cars like the Edsel, Rocket, Thunderbird, and later, the Barracuda, Mustang and many more.
Toyota stopped exports between 1960 and 62 and tried to revive the Crown, but the horsepower wars were kicking off, and the Crown could not compete. By 1973, Japan replaced the crown with the Cressida in the USA, but within Japan, the Crown kept on going with great guns.
On July 15, 2022, Toyota revealed the 16th generation of Crown via a world premiere on its YouTube channel Toyota Motor Corporation, and the good news is that one of the four all-new Toyota Crown siblings is coming to the US. So what’s the family like?
The First Sibling: The Crown Crossover
The first of the Crown sibling to roll to the dealerships is the Toyota Crown Crossover, like a high-riding sedan, with SUV functions. It comes riding on larger wheels, bearing swooping curves to make it look more like a sedan. For now, the press releases and pictures show it in attractive metallic colors.
The Toyota Crown Crossover will come in an option of two powertrains. An all-new 340-horsepower 2.4-liter Turbo Hybrid System might be the higher-priced model, bearing three new components: an inline 4-cylinder turbo engine, the eAxle electric powertrain, and a new bipolar nickel-hydrogen battery.
The second powertrain is the 2.5-liter Series Parallel Hybrid System running on a new bi-polar nickel-hydrogen battery as well.
In Japan, the Crossover can be bought, or “leased” for three years via the KINTO car subscription. While the price for Japan has been released, there is no news on the price of the Toyota Crown Crossover in the US.
The Other Three Members Of The Toyota Crown Family
We know about the Crossover now, and in the US, this will be replacing the Toyota Avalon. It’s a fusion between a sedan and an SUV with easier ingress and egress. Since it sits higher than a sedan, it’s easier to drive, and the new hybrid systems are an evolution of Toyota’s hybrid excellence.
Let’s introduce the siblings now which will not be coming to the US. The Crown Sport is a sporty SUV, smaller in size than a conventional full-size SUV, and offers a fun driving experience. The best target audience for this could be the youth.
The mature sibling would be the orthodox sedan, that offers all the luxury and smoothness you want from a car that’s also easy on the environment. This is perfect for those who love the back seat of cars, preferring them chauffeur-driven.
Finally, there’s the Crown Estate which is a conventional SUV and the largest of the family. It comes with plenty of power, comfort, and agility, and like many SUVs, its rear seats fold flat to add to the cargo area for more convenience.
The Crossover will be the first of the models to roll out, while the rest will come in succession over the next year and a half.
The All-New Platform & Other Safety Features
All the Toyota Crown models will ride on the new TNGA platform that focuses on a lightweight, well-balanced, and high-rigidity body. All siblings use McPherson struts in the front and a multi-link suspension in the rear for better stability and driving comfort. Toyota promises all the Crowns will come with minimal vibration for the smoothest ride. Further, safety, driver assist, and more features are top-notch and can match the competition, if not overtake it. There’s Toyota Safety Sense in the Crown, standard on all versions, and Toyota calls it the most safety package yet, as it tries to cover all bases.
The Toyota Teammate is a suite of driver-assistance technologies and includes Advanced Drive Advanced Park and other safety and driver-assist advanced functions. The Toyota Crown will hit around 40 countries, and Toyota expects annual sales of 200,000 units.
For now, only the Crossover powertrain is out, the top trim of which will make 340 horsepower and 405 lb-ft torque. Specs for the rest of the siblings are still under wraps as Toyota tries its best to keep interests high. As Toyota’s President Toyoda puts it, “Customers from around the world will now get a chance to drive this historic Japanese nameplate... born out of passion, pride, and progress.”
Sources: Toyota, YouTube channel Toyota Motor Corporation