If you’re looking for a car that can resurrect the deleted full-size sedan class, the Toyota Crown just might be the car for the job.
This new Toyota sedan has a few oddities and wrinkles, but it brings with it a historical name we haven’t seen in several years. With the Avalon gone from the market, the new Crown takes its place but does so in a new way. This new model rides higher than a typical sedan, all models bring a hybrid powertrain, and you’ve got standard AWD across the range. Could this be the future of large sedans?
Toyota Offers a Bigger Take on the Prius
The Toyota Prius is easily the most popular hybrid vehicle in the automotive market. It has been for nearly two decades already. The Crown offers a larger take on the hybrid power that Toyota has mastered. The 2023 model of this new large sedan brings us a traditional hybrid layout, but a plug-in Prime model is on the way to enter the market which could arrive as early as late in the 2023 model year. Is Toyota making a smart move by adding this sedan to the mix? The sales numbers will tell us this story.
How Does the Crown Stack Up?
We’ve never seen anything in the full-size sedan market that’s quite like the new Toyota Crown. This new sedan is a hybrid model, which we haven’t seen. The Crown has a similar size to the Chrysler 300, but the fuel efficiency mark would go to the Toyota. The Nissan Maxima was exclusively offered as an FWD vehicle. Even the Lexus ES 300, which comes from the Toyota family, only offered 215 horsepower, making it an underpowered option in this class. This new Toyota full-size sedan is like nothing else we’ve ever seen.
Is this Toyota Good Car to Drive?
If you want a car that has a pleasant, well-rounded driving personality, you’ll love to get behind the wheel of the Crown. This car offers excellent outward visibility in all directions, which is part of the benefits of the higher ride stance than most sedans. This gives you a more commanding view than what you would find in most sedans, making the Crown feel a little like an SUV.
Accelerating from a stop is eager in this impressive hybrid sedan, making this big car feel more like an active participant on the road rather than a traditional hybrid that focuses on fuel economy. The eCVT keeps the engine moving at the highest power revs to ensure you’ve got the acceleration desired when you want to pass other drivers out on the road.
Overall, the Toyota Crown offers a plush ride that has a well-controlled body that can be an excellent car for anyone to enjoy. This large car could be ideal for a family to experience the comfort and size that comes from being in this class. If you want a version that’s a little more engaging, move up to the highest-trim version of this new Toyota sedan.
What is Hybrid Max and Why Should You Check It Out?
The Platinum trim of this new Toyota sedan is the most expensive model, but it offers the benefits of the Hybrid Max powertrain. This powertrain offers a 6-speed automatic transmission in place of the eCVT, and it trades the base 2.5-liter engine for a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine. These changes offer increased power and more acceleration to give you a big sedan that can hit 60 mph in only 5.7 seconds. This is nearly two seconds faster than the standard powertrain, which is an incredible difference.
The Crown Approaches Luxury Levels of Driving
The former Toyota Avalon was already getting close to being a luxury sedan, but the Crown takes things even further. This new sedan has two 12.3-inch screens, one for the infotainment and one for the gauge cluster. The new Toyota infotainment system responds to voice commands and can be summoned. The cabin offers a higher point of view for occupants and is much easier to get into and out of than a traditional sedan. This sedan is comfortable and makes driving and riding a pleasure on most roads.
How Does the Crown Compare to the Camry?
When looking at a size comparison, the Toyota Crown is nearly four inches taller than the Camry and is much larger. The standard wheel size for this new sedan is 19 inches, with the Limited model offering a set of 21-inch rims. The Platinum model comes with a 2-tone color scheme, with a hood, roof, and trunk that are all painted in black. The colors for this new Toyota sedan are Oxygen White, Heavy Metal, Supersonic Rd, and Bronze Age. If you’re looking for a car that will grab some attention, the Crown certainly does that.
How Much Power Does this Toyota Sedan Offer?
The XLE and Limited models of the Crown use the traditional 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine plus two electric motors mated to an eCVT to offer 236 horsepower. This powertrain delivers 42 city/41 hwy mpg, which makes this the most efficient large sedan to ever hit the market. The Platinum powertrain, already discussed, offers 340 horsepower and 29 city/32 hwy mpg. Both of these powertrains make this car an easy choice when you want an alternative to the SUV-heavy world that we see in the automotive market.
Does the New Toyota Crown Appeal to You?
Are you looking for a large car that has something special? If so, this new Toyota could be exactly what you’re after. The hybrid powertrain means you’ll have excellent power and fuel economy numbers never seen in a full-size sedan with a gasoline engine. Toss in the high ride height and AWD, and you’ve got a car that puts you right where you want to be. Add the incredibly upscale cabin, and this car has everything you could ask for when you’re tired of seeing the SUVs on the road and want to drive something a little different.
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