TORONTO: Toyota is re-imagining the full-size sedan with the all-new 2023 Toyota Crown.
Toyota Sedan built to deliver an intuitive driving experience, this new premium sedan brings powerful acceleration and confident handling, along with supreme comfort for a sophisticated ride, all wrapped in a bold new design. It is also the first Toyota sedan to offer the HYBRID MAX System, Toyota’s performance hybrid with power that drivers will feel.
Available in three grades: XLE, Limited, and Platinum, Toyota Crown will offer a choice of two different hybrid powertrains: HYBRID MAX or the fourth generation Toyota Hybrid System (THS). The HYBRID MAX powertrain, exclusive to the Platinum grade, is Toyota’s all-new performance hybrid that puts out a manufacturer estimated 340 net horsepower.
Paired with a 2.4-litre turbocharged engine and a direct shift 6-speed automatic transmission, HYBRID MAX produces powerful torque at low RPM for sporty, exhilarating driving and has a manufacturer-estimated combined city/highway fuel consumption of 8.4 L/100 km. XLE and Limited grades are equipped with THS, a highly efficient hybrid system with a newly developed, high-output bipolar nickel-metal hydride battery that can achieve a manufacturer-estimated combined city/highway rating of 6.2 L/100 km.
Built on a newly developed chassis based on Toyota’s GA-K platform, Crown has a raised overall height that’s nearly four inches higher than Camry. The unique height of this sedan offers increased road visibility, along with easy entry and exit. Its flowing silhouette and sculpted body lines create a fresh look that is entirely unique for its class. Altogether, the Toyota Crown package is a combination of innovative style, performance, and function.
The XLE grade comes equipped with the 2.5-litre THS, AWD, three selectable drive modes, 19-inch alloy wheels, heated and powered Softex® and fabric front seats, and our all-new Toyota Multimedia System with 12.3-inch touchscreen and 6 speakers. It is available in five colours: Black, Oxygen White, Magnetic Grey Metallic, and Supersonic Red, with a black interior.
The Limited grade also comes equipped with XLE features and adds multibeam LED headlights, a fixed panoramic roof, leather-trimmed seats that are heated and ventilated up front and heated in the rear, 11-speaker JBL audio system, rain sensing windshield wipers, and intelligent clearance sonar along with rear cross-traffic braking. In addition to the four exterior colours available on the XLE, the Limited grade offers Heavy Metal as well. Interior colours include black, black and chestnut, and macadamia.
The Platinum grade includes everything on XLE and Limited and raises the bar with the HYBRID MAX powertrain, Adaptive Variable Suspension, six selectable drive modes, Advanced Park, and unique 21-inch machined 10-spoke alloy wheels with black accents. The colour palette adds a Toyota first bi-tone paint option, with black paint that extends from the hood to the trunk, that can be paired with Wind Chill Pearl, Heavy Metal, Supersonic Red, or an all new, bi-tone only Bronze Age colour.
Toyota Crown History
The Crown first debuted in 1955 as the “Toyopet Crown”, Toyota’s first mass produced passenger vehicle. When the first generation was developed, Crown came to symbolize “innovation” and “pushing the limit” within Toyota. Since then, it has gained recognition in Japan as Toyota’s premium sedan. It was also one of the first Japanese cars to hit Canadian shores back in 1965, last being sold in North America in 1972.
Across the 15 generations of Crown, it has been a vehicle that has led the way with innovative technology — pursuing value through engineering that is one step ahead of its time. For the new Crown, Toyota’s development team once again set innovation and pushing the limit at the core of the new generation’s concept. Toyota team members from product planning, design, and engineering worked together to identify a Crown for a new era.
The result is a completely new Toyota Crown that throws off the conventional concepts of a sedan and takes it into a new era. Design choices push the limit, with large-diameter wheels that give the car a powerful style, a raised hip point for ease of ingress and egress, and meticulous attention to detail on the inside for a comfortable home-away-from-home. Innovation is engineered into the new Crown with two different Hybrid powertrains available, HYBRID MAX with responsive acceleration and THS for great fuel economy, and standard electronic on demand All Wheel Drive.
Two Hybrid Systems
Toyota made “hybrid” synonymous with fuel efficiency more than 20 years ago with the first Prius. Today, Toyota continues to expand its hybrid lineup and overall electrified vehicle offerings, with Crown bringing the number of Toyota electrified vehicles to 15 in Canada. The Toyota Crown innovates on the hybrid front with another first for Toyota sedans, the HYBRID MAX System. This new system is designed to deliver smooth and powerful torque-filled acceleration, while keeping an eye on efficiency.
HYBRID MAX combines a 2.4-litre inline 4-cylinder turbo engine tuned to hit peak torque between 2000-3000 RPM, with a front electric motor that helps maximize torque production. A rear wheel eAxle that’s equipped with a high output water-cooled electric motor is combined with the hybrid engine to directly transmit force to all four wheels.
All-Wheel Drive
The 2023 Toyota Crown comes standard with Toyota’s Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive. The XLE and Limited grades come with E-Four AWD and the Platinum grade comes with E-Four Advanced, two highly efficient systems that take maximum advantage of the hybrid powertrain’s benefits. Instead of using a transfer case and driveshaft to the rear wheels, Electronic On-Demand AWD employs a separate rear-mounted electric motor to power the rear wheels when needed.
Toyota Crown offers either a direct shift six-speed automatic transmission on the Platinum grade or an electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (eCVT) on XLE and Limited grades.
Toyota Crown is built around a version of the Toyota New Global Architecture K (TNGA-K) platform that underpins some of the company’s sedans and crossovers. For all grades, Toyota engineers developed a suspension system that provides comfortable maneuverability and a relaxing ride. Toyota Crown’s handling is bolstered by an electronically controlled brake system featuring Active Cornering Assist (ACA), which engages the stability control to reduce understeer.
The combination of large-diameter tires and wheels helps give the Toyota Crown its “lift-up” style. The XLE and Limited grades ride on 19-inch multi-spoke two-tone alloy wheels. The Platinum comes standard with 21-inch machined 10-spoke alloy wheels with black accents.
Toyota Crown provides exemplary comfort with standard 8-way power adjustable driver and front passenger seats. Front seat adjustments include slide, recline, tilt, height adjust, and lumbar support (driver seat only). Rear seats include ample cushioning and bolster support for maximum enjoyment.
Dual zone climate control is also standard for all grades. A thin, attractive illuminated control panel runs along the dashboard, just below the multimedia screen, with frequently used functions placed on the lower row keyboard.