What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Toyota Crown? What does it compare to?
Toyota is sunsetting one premium full-size sedan only to introduce another, this one with crossover influences and a pair of hybrid powertrains. It competes with the likes of the Subaru Legacy, Nissan Maxima, Dodge Charger, and Volvo V90.
Is the 2023 Toyota Crown a good car?
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That’s yet to be determined and we won’t know until we drive it, perhaps later this year. We expect it to be roomy, safe, fuel efficient, and even luxurious. Those strengths could contribute to a high TCC Rating. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What’s new for the 2023 Toyota Crown?
The 2023 Toyota Crown is new for the U.S., and redesigned for its Japanese home market where it’s been available as a premium sedan for decades.
The Crown’s body cuts a fastback sedan shape, but the cladding around the wheel cutouts and lower body adds a few SUV-like cues. There’s nothing trail-ready about it; in height and ground clearance, it’s strictly a car. The design is almost elegant from the well sculpted sides, though a bit off-putting due to the tall roof. The nose, however, features a wide grille that comes off as a ham-fisted interpretation of the Toyota Venza’s face. Coincidentally, the new Crown appears as a raised sedan just as the first Venza presented as a raised wagon. The top model will be offered with two-tone paint.
Inside, the Crown has an upscale look, much like the Avalon it replaces. For a serene environment, every Crown has acoustic glass and a sound absorbing pad between the engine and cabin, and engineers worked to block sound paths around the door frames, window openings, wiring harnesses, and other areas.
The Crown marks the debut of two hybrid systems for Toyota, the most notable of which is the new Hybrid Max system that balances power and fuel economy in the top model. It’s comprised of a 2.4-liter turbo-4 and front and rear motors to produce 340 hp and provide on-demand all-wheel drive that can vary torque between a 70/30 front bias and a 20/80 rear bias. It feeds the power through a 6-speed direct-shift transmission that can be shifted manually via steering wheel paddles. Toyota estimates 28 mpg combined with this powertrain.
The Crown’s two other grades get the next generation Toyota Hybrid System (THS). It teams a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with front and rear motors to provide all-wheel drive and deliver a company-estimated 38 mpg combined. In this application, torque distribution can vary between 100/0 and 20/80 front to rear.
Cars equipped with THS have Eco, Normal, Sport, and EV driving modes, the last of which allows for short periods of low-speed electric driving. Crowns with the Hybrid Max powertrain lose the EV mode, but gain Sport+, Comfort, and Custom modes.
Built on the Toyota New Global Architecture K (TNGA-K) that it shares with cars and crossovers, the Crown features a MacPherson strut front suspension, a multi-link rear independent suspension.
How much does the 2023 Toyota Corolla cost?
The Crown will be offered in XLE, Limited, and Platinum trims. Prices have yet to be announced, but we know that the XLE comes standard with 8-way power front seats, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with over-the-air-update capability, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, wireless smartphone charging, USB-A and USB-C ports, and 19-inch alloy wheels. The XLE model has cloth and synthetic suede upholstery, while the Limited and Platinum features leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, an 11-speaker JBL audio system, and 19-inch wheels. The Platinum also gets cooled front seats, a surround-view camera system, a digital key, adaptive dampers, and 21-inch wheels. An Advanced Tech package makes 21s available for the Limited as well.
Toyota loads up the Crown with standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cross-traffic detection, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, automatic high beams, road sign recognition, blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alerts, and a rear-seat reminder system. The Platinum also has automatic parking.
Toyota has not yet announced pricing, full specifications, or when the Crown will hit dealers. Look for more information closer to launch.
Where is the 2023 Toyota Crown made?
In Japan.