The sixteenth-generation Crown is practically a reboot of the venerable and longest-running passenger car nameplate in the Toyota stable. When it was first shown about a year ago, the company said there would be four versions of the car. It started off with the Lexus RX-based Crown Crossover sedan with the Estate (wagon), Sport (coupe-crossover), and the traditional sedan to follow.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Pillion riders aren’t allowed to wear slippers under single ticketing system
The best 5.5 deals on car and motorcycle accessories to check out right now
We previously mentioned the new body styles in a previous report, but it’s the traditional sedan that caught our attention. Sure, the Estate and Sport look sharp, but any mention of the word ‘Toyota Crown’ brings up images of a large luxury sedan. The first images Toyota presented showed a small section of the car. Now, the automaker has shown more of the pre-production model that’s close to the road-going version.
If you were expecting a conservative redesign, that’s not the case here at all. As mentioned by Toyota, the all-new Crown is a reboot of the nameplate, and the result is this bigger and bolder look for the sedan. At the front are a pair of slim C-shaped headlights and a massive grille in the center. There are defined corner edges on the bumper, but the look can be described as gentle and subtle instead of loud and aggressive. This is a Toyota Crown, after all.
But perhaps the most shocking change is its outline. It now looks more like a large liftback than sedan, and the subtle bulging fenders help make the car look more imposing from the side. As for the rear, it has its share of sharp lines and creases, but it’s complemented by the trunklid’s soft curves. And yes, this is still four-door sedan and not a liftback, despite what that sleek roofline suggests.
As for other information, Toyota mentioned a few things about it. The new-generation Crown Sedan will be the biggest one yet, measuring 5,030mm long, 1,890mm wide, and 1,470mm tall. There will be no more non-hybrid models for this generation, as the standard powertrain will be a hybrid.
It’s possible that it will be the 2.4-liter hybrid (as seen in the Lexus RX 350h), while either the 2.4-liter turbo hybrid or 3.5-liter V6 turbo hybrid will be for higher-spec models. Toyota also confirmed that hydrogen power will be an option. The launch date is slated for ‘Autumn 2023’, just in time for this year’s Japan Mobility Show.
