Coming soon to your Toyota dealer, the Toyota Crown has replaced the Toyota Avalon in the automaker’s lineup. The Crown is an interesting combination of a large sedan and a crossover. The nameplate isn’t new either as Toyota sold a Crown-badged car between 1958 and 1972. The new Toyota Crown is only offered as a hybrid with AWD, which mirrors the Lexus RX powertrain.
Power and Performance
The Toyota Crown really does look more like a sedan than a crossover, but the response so far has been mixed. However, the Crown is quite economical with its 236-horsepower base engine that makes up to 41 MPG combined. The Platinum trim comes with a more powerful 340-horsepower engine and an estimated MPG of 30 combined. Another odd feature of the Crown is that it only comes in one color–a two-tone red and black paint theme.
The Crown features 21-inch wheels, which just happen to be the largest wheels Toyota has ever offered on a production car. This does make it look a bit more like a crossover from some angles. However, the ground clearance is roughly the same as a Toyota Camry, but the roof is roughly 4 inches higher.
The seats inside the Crown are somewhat elevated compared to a sedan like the Camry, which makes getting into them a bit more like stepping across versus stepping down.
Crossover Sedan?
It’s no secret that the market has quickly and completely shifted over to SUVs and crossovers of all shapes and sizes. The Toyota Crown equally takes advantage and adapts to this change in various ways. At the same time, it could easily take over the large sedan space by default thanks to the departure of the Chevy Impala, Ford Taurus, and soon the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger.
The Toyota Crown also comes standard with AWD, which helps its crossover genes. It has two options in the standard electronic on-demand AWD system or the available all-new Hybrid Max powertrain. The latter adjusts between 70/30 and 20/80 power split between the front and rear wheels for sharper control. The standard system can send 80% power to the rear wheels or it can automatically use FWD to increase fuel economy. Both systems are more than adequate in dealing with low-traction situations.
Crown Technology and Interior
The Toyota Crown naturally comes with a bevy of modern tech features, including digital key capability, wireless charging, advanced park, a Toyota audio multimedia system, and much more. The Crown’s cabin is overwhelmingly tech-focused with a design that favors fully wireless compatibility. The digital key feature requires a Remote Connect subscription, but when activated it allows your smartphone or smartwatch to act as a key.
The Crown’s interior is relatively unique with a driver-focused layout and elevated cabin. Heated front seats are standard, while heated and ventilated rear seats are available. The Crown also offers an available fixed panoramic roof to let in more natural light.
The response to the Crown has been mixed, but it’s easy to see it’s a pretty unique and innovative vehicle for Toyota’s lineup. You can find the Toyota Crown at a Toyota dealer near you now, or soon depending on your location.
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.
