First Look: 2023 Toyota Crown

Last night time Toyota formally unveiled its newest manufacturing automobile, and that automobile wears one of many firm’s earliest mannequin names. The new-for-2023 Toyota Crown is a genre-bending mashup of an SUV and a full-size sedan—its uncommon form combines a SUV-like decrease physique with a low-and-racy fastback roofline, however in contrast to different “coupe-style” crossover SUVs, the Crown maintains a standard rear trunk as a substitute of an SUV-style liftgate. The Crown additionally comes normal with a fuel/electrical hybrid powertrain; actually, Toyota presents a alternative of two new hybrid powertrains, each with normal on-demand digital all-wheel drive.

What’s New For 2023: Toyota

2023 Toyota Crown

The Crown title has a protracted historical past with Toyota—when Toyota began U.S. gross sales in 1958, its first automobile was the Toyopet Crown, and the Crown nameplate has remained a fixture of the model’s lineup in Japan. Most Americans received’t be acquainted, nonetheless, since Toyota hasn’t used the title right here since 1973.

2023 Toyota Crown

The Crown is constructed on a newly developed chassis that’s primarily based on the corporate’s GA-Okay platform, which underpins a number of fashionable Toyota fashions together with the Camry, Highlander, RAV4, and Venza. Toyota is positioning the Crown as a “reimagined,” “premium” full-size sedan above the Camry within the mannequin lineup. Though it’s definitely not a conceptual successor, the Crown basically replaces the full-size Toyota Avalon sedan, which is being discontinued after the 2022 mannequin 12 months.

Perhaps the only description of the brand new Crown is that it’s a “tall” automobile. Size-wise, the Crown’s footprint is surprisingly near the Camry’s—in comparison with the Camry, the Crown’s width is identical, its wheelbase is an inch longer, and its total size is up by an inch or two. The massive distinction between the 2 is in top: The Crown is almost 4 inches taller than the Camry. This permits for the next, SUV-like seating place that gives the motive force with a way of command and a greater view of the highway, together with the simpler entry and exit that many patrons discover irresistible. Interestingly, the Crown rides a wheelbase almost six and a half inches longer than Toyota’s Venza two-row midsize SUV, and its bodywork is nearly eight inches longer as properly. But the Crown is about 5 inches shorter than the Venza, basically splitting the distinction with the Camry.

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2023 Toyota Crown

The Crown will likely be provided in three trim ranges: XLE, Limited, and Platinum. The XLE and Limited are powered by a brand new fourth-generation Toyota Hybrid System (THS) that mixes a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, an electronically managed constantly variable transmission (CVT), and two electrical motors powered by a brand new high-output bi-polar nickel-metal-hydride battery pack. One of these motors powers the rear wheels by way of Toyota’s new “E-Four” all-wheel-drive system when additional traction is required. The system defaults to pure front-wheel drive, nevertheless it’s in a position to ship as much as 80 p.c of the ability to the rear wheels. Toyota hasn’t but offered an estimated horsepower output for this powertrain, however estimates it would obtain mixed metropolis/freeway gasoline economic system of 38 mpg.

The top-line Crown Platinum is provided with a brand new performance-oriented “HYBRID MAX” powertrain that’s tuned for low-end torque and places out a Toyota-estimated 340 horsepower. It combines a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a direct-shift 6-speed computerized transmission, and right here Toyota estimates 28 mpg in mixed driving. The Platinum additionally upgrades to an “E-Four Advanced” all-wheel-drive system that makes use of a water-cooled electrical motor to energy the rear wheels. The system’s default energy distribution is 70 p.c to the entrance wheels and 30 p.c to the rear; if wanted, the system can ship as much as 80 p.c of the obtainable torque to the rear wheels.

The Crown’s chassis makes use of MacPherson-type struts up entrance, and a newly developed multi-link rear suspension; the Crown Platinum contains a regular Adaptive Variable Suspension with variable-pressure shock absorbers. XLE and Limited fashions come normal with 19-inch alloy wheels; 21-inch wheels are elective on Limited and normal on Platinum.

The five-passenger inside is trimmed with a mix of Toyota’s Softex artificial leather-based and material on the Crown XLE, whereas the Limited and Platinum fashions come normal with actual leather-based upholstery. Standard options on all Crowns embrace heated entrance seats, dual-zone local weather management, 12.3-inch digital instrument show, wi-fi charging pad, and the most recent Toyota Audio Multimedia system (which will get its personal 12.3-inch touchscreen show). Limited and Platinum fashions additionally obtain a regular panoramic moonroof, and the Platinum additionally boasts a Bird’s Eye View Camera system that gives a panoramic overhead view of the Crown and its environment. (The Bird’s Eye View Camera can also be included within the Limited’s elective Advanced Tech Package.) Platinum fashions are additionally obtainable in an eye-grabbing Bi-Tone paint possibility that mixes one in every of 4 physique colours with shiny black paint on the physique’s higher horizontal surfaces.

We had been in a position to sit in static pre-production examples of the 2023 Crown at Toyota’s reveal occasion. Up entrance, there may be pretty ample house throughout, together with loads of headroom for our 6’2” body underneath the panoramic moonroof’s housing. Rear-seat house is sweet, and we had a simply sufficient legroom to take a seat behind a entrance seat set far again with out our knees touching the seat again. Headroom within the again isn’t as beneficiant as in entrance, however we had sufficient house to be comfy because of the scooped-out headliner. The Crown’s normal wi-fi charger is a really cleverly designed deep bin in entrance of the shifter that holds the telephone vertically. Spring-loaded wedges routinely regulate to the telephone’s measurement to carry it securely, and when in place our iPhone SE’s display screen remained seen. The trunk has a flat ground and is sort of giant entrance to again. The split-folding rear seat can lengthen the trunk into the inside, however the trunk lid itself has giant sickle-shaped hinges that dip into the cargo space.

The 2023 Toyota Crown will likely be in-built Japan and is slated to go on sale this fall. Pricing and different particulars will likely be obtainable nearer to the Crown’s on-sale date.

CG Says:

The crossover SUV has largely changed the standard sedan because the on a regular basis automobile of alternative for American buyers. Toyota’s new Crown sedan tries to problem this new regular with unconventional styling that makes an attempt to mix a few of the SUV’s fashionable qualities with sedan-like styling and a standard trunk. We acquired a sneak peek of the Crown’s unorthodox form again in June, once we got a couple of minutes to look over a locked static show mannequin. This was a real preview, the place we didn’t know any particulars in regards to the automobile we had been taking a look at, and even its title. Now, after the official reveal and with extra particulars crammed in, we nonetheless aren’t fully certain what to make of this surprising addition to Toyota’s U.S. lineup. High-riding all-wheel-drive sedans are very uncommon—we will consider the trendsetting AMC Eagle sedan of the Eighties and Subaru’s Outback sedan that was obtainable for a couple of decade earlier than being dropped about 15 years in the past. Our crystal ball stays very cloudy in terms of how Americans will react to the 2023 Toyota Crown, and we suspect that Toyota’s is fairly murky too. That stated, we expect essentially the most fascinating of Crown’s developments are under its admittedly uncommon pores and skin. The two new hybrid programs with their corresponding up to date digital all-wheel drive programs are the massive information hiding in plain sight, and we predict this {hardware} will quickly unfold to different Toyota fashions.

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2023 Toyota Crown

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2023 Toyota Crown Gallery

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What’s New For 2023: Toyota

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