By Steve & Tamami Laser
As one of Toyota’s longest-running nameplates, the Crown has been offered as a sedan, coupe, wagon, and even a pickup, during the past 60-plus years, and 15 generations.
So when Toyota unveiled the all-new, 16th generation Crown in Japan on July 15 (above), we were surprised to see three all-new body styles debut – Crossover, Sport (hatch), and Estate (SUV), along with a new sedan.
Crown Crossover
Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corp., is shown above with the new Crown Crossover. Described as an innovative package that offers new values unconstrained by conventional concepts, this Crown is planned to reach dealers in Japan around the fall of this year.
Riding on a new TNGA-based platform, the Crown Crossover features a coupe-like silhouette with an elevated ride height and dynamic styling. Powertrain choices include an RS model with 2.4-liter Turbo Hybrid system with E-Four Advanced and Direct Shift 6AT, and G and X models with a 2.5-liter Series Parallel Hybrid with E-Four and reduction gear.
The Crossover’s cabin sports a horizontal dash design that integrates displays and operating equipment with a wrap-around look, flowing from the instrument panel to the doors. Toyota Safety Sense is standard on all grades, and so is Toyota Teammate, a suite of driver-assistance technologies.
Crown Estate (SUV)
Toyota plans to roll out three additional body styles during the next 18 months in Japan, including the Crown Estate (above).
Crown Sport
The new Crown Sport (above) features more aggressive styling with a dynamic profile.
Crown Sedan
While the new Crown Sedan presents a more traditional design approach, it still looks sporty and attractive.
The new Crown series is planned to be sold in some 40 counties and regions, with an annual total sales volume of some 200,000 units. In a separate announcement, Toyota USA plans to add the new Crown Crossover to its lineup. We don’t know if any of the other body styles will make the journey stateside.
Toyota says the Crown Crossover will be built at the Motomachi and Tsutsumi plants in Japan, with a projected sales volume there of some 3,200 units per month.
Note: Pre-production prototype vehicles for the Japan market are shown in this story. Features, specifications, launch timing, and MSRPs for future production models are subject to change without notice.
News sources and photos courtesy of Toyota Motor Corp.
Additional photo (as noted) courtesy of Noriaki Mitsuhashi/N-RAK PHOTO AGENCY (reproduced here for editorial use)
Story intro (and text commentary) © 2022 by CarNichiWa.com