First Drive: 2023 Toyota Crown Platinum

Given the American obsession with SUVs, it would strike anybody as slightly humorous that Toyota determined to deliver out a sedan as the corporate’s new top-of-the-line automobile. 

But when you get your head beneath the all-new 2023 Crown, it doesn’t appear so ridiculous in spite of everything. Toyota has just a few methods within the works that might make SUV-crazed Americans contemplate an untraditional sedan. 

Overview

The Crown is all new, representing the 16^th era of a nameplate that’s been going since 1955. Yes, you learn that proper. The Crown nameplate has at all times indicated the highest of the road for Toyota automobiles. In America, this era of the Crown replaces the venerable Avalon, which was offered as the highest Toyota sedan within the U.S. for the previous 28 years. 

The 2023 Crown represents an all-new tackle Toyota’s high mannequin. It’s a hybrid, with all-wheel drive, and a raised journey top that delivers a few of the crossover SUV qualities which have induced that phase to surge previous sedans. 

But the Crown can be rated by the EPA as a midsize sedan. That creates questions on whether or not Crown gross sales will pull consumers off Toyota’s bread-and-butter midsize sedan, the Camry. However, we don’t assume so, and we’ll inform you why we expect the Crown goes to be extra of a halo automotive for the Toyota model than a quantity vendor just like the Camry or Corolla. 

Exterior

The very first thing you discover concerning the Crown is that it’s a considerable automobile. It’s just a few inches longer, wider and taller than the Camry, but it surely has the presence of a crossover SUV with a fastback roofline and brief, coupe-style rear deck over its four-door design. 

Then you’ll discover that the doorways are giant, like an SUV, and the taller journey top is complemented by a reasonably tall door and relatively shorter greenhouse for the cabin. Here once more, the similarities to a crossover are notable. 

With these options famous, the Crown is a handsome automotive. It’s a brand new design that can entice consideration and will simply be mistaken for one of many European model fastback sedans of the previous few years. Toyota has additionally raised the stakes with a number of two-tone paint schemes that make the Crown all of the extra placing. 

Interior

Slide into the motive force’s seat, and Toyota’s technique turns into fully clear. With the Crown, you don’t need to climb up into the cabin as you do with so many SUVs, however neither do it’s a must to decrease your self into the seat as is critical with many sport sedans. The Crown locations the seats at top for a snug, straightforward entry. That might not sound like a lot, however the demographic that’s going to buy the Crown will respect not having to carry out gymnastics to get in or out. 

Once inside, the Crown delivers a premium expertise, a minimum of within the higher trim ranges. Heated and ventilated leather-based seats can be found, and there’s loads of room in back and front. You can seat 5 adults in affordable consolation on this automotive, once more taking a web page from the crossover SUV market. 

The structure of screens, controls and features is clear and straightforward to make use of. Hallelujah, there’s an actual set of local weather controls, so that you don’t need to go looking across the menu system to attempt to puzzle out find out how to activate the defroster within the morning. 

Powertrain

The new Crown is available in two flavors. There’s the fundamental Crown Hybrid, which includes a 2.5-liter gasoline engine with a hybrid motor in entrance, paired with an electrical motor on the again for AWD. This setup yields 236 internet system horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque, with a constantly variable transmission. This system is optimized for gasoline financial system, rated at 42 mpg in metropolis driving and 41 mpg on the freeway, however it’ll nonetheless sprint from 0-60 in a good 7.6 seconds, and ship the winter traction advantages of AWD. The Crown XLE and Limited include this driveline. 

The high Platinum trim of the Crown comes with a system Toyota calls Hybrid Max. This pairs a 2.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with the entrance hybrid system, and the corresponding electrical motor for the rear wheels. This system is rated as much as 340 internet system hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. You get the 0-60 run in a extra thrilling 5.7 seconds, however you sacrifice gasoline financial system all the way down to 29 mpg metropolis and 32 mpg freeway.

Honestly, it’s well worth the cash and the gasoline financial system hit to get the Platinum trim with Hybrid Max. It feels extra highly effective than it’s, and it imbues the Crown with the gravitas {that a} range-topping automotive ought to have. Accelerating onto the freeway or making a move comes straightforward with the additional energy, and also you’re nonetheless getting higher gasoline financial system than you’d count on in a automotive of this measurement. 

Safety and Technology

The Crown advantages from the third era of Toyota’s superior driver help system, known as Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. It’s really greater than the third era, since there was a TSS 2.5 that’s nonetheless in manufacturing. The 3.0 provides higher detection of motorcyclists and guardrails, and it’ll detect automobiles approaching from the edges. The latest model additionally consists of full velocity vary adaptive cruise management, and higher efficiency for lane administration and lane tracing round curves.

New tech in TSS 3.0 features a proactive driving help function, which gently makes use of steering and throttle management in case you wander too shut to a different automobile, pedestrian, or bicyclist. Blind spot monitoring can be normal. 

In phrases of dashboard tech, the Crown brings you one of the best Toyota has to supply. The driver data show is a 12.3-inch display screen, and also you get one other 12.3-inch display screen for infotainment. The solely distinction between the system within the base XLE trim and the Limited or Platinum trims is six bizarre audio system versus 11 JBL audio system. 

You nonetheless get help for wi-fi Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for telephone integration. All trims get a nifty Qi wi-fi charging pocket, and your telephone sits upright within the pocket. It will match the newest ProfessionalMax sized iPhones, even in a protecting case. 

Driving Impressions

The Crown goes to achieve success as a result of it brings in the important thing parts of the crossover SUV driving expertise, paired with one of the best points of a bigger sedan. It’s bought loads of energy beneath the hood, and its comparatively decrease middle of gravity will remind drivers of what they at all times appreciated a few sedan. Most of all, the slight raised journey top provides drivers that up-high viewpoint they like, with out having to climb as much as get it. 

Toyota, as typical, has accomplished a fantastic job with regeneration and braking, making the entire Crown driving expertise a clean and intuitive course of. There aren’t any “oh, yeah, that’s the hybrid system” quirks that you simply’ll need to study to reside with. You should buy a Crown and overlook that it’s a hybrid. Just drive it and benefit from the efficiency.

2023 Toyota Crown Platinum Specifications

Wrap Up

The 2023 Toyota Crown is anticipated to reach at Toyota dealerships in early 2023. With provide chain points, it could be sensible to get your title on the checklist sooner moderately than later. 

One factor to speak about earlier than we depart the Crown is the inevitable comparability with the Camry, which is a midsize sedan and most years, the preferred passenger automotive in America. The Crown is just a few inches greater than the Camry in any given dimension, but it surely feels very completely different and decidedly upscale.

Where the Camry’s enchantment is being worth on an financial system household sedan, the Crown is a step upwards in efficiency, luxurious, options, and in value. The value of a Crown will begin on the high finish of the Camry value stroll, with the Crown XLE trim beginning at $39,950. Then you’ll step as much as $45,550 for the Limited grade and $52,350 for the highest Platinum grade. 

Among the three trim choices, we’d suggest going all the way in which to Platinum in case you’re going to purchase a Crown in any respect, since you may as effectively get the great leather-based and warmth/air flow, and the Hybrid Max driveline. If you need a Toyota that may compete with European sedans, don’t skimp out when it counts. 

2023 Toyota Crown Platinum — Frequently Asked Questions