The indirect successor to the Avalon clinched the highest safety award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Even so, the 2023 Toyota Crown received mixed ratings for headlight performance.
At the very bottom of the lineup, the XLE trim level comes with LED projector-style headlights featuring high-beam assist. Said lights received an overall rating of acceptable from the nonprofit organization due to inadequate visibility on the gradual left curve. The headlights of the better-equipped Limited and Platinum grades were found to be good in all scenarios tested by the IIHS.
The Crown’s automatic emergency braking system with pedestrian detection also scored the best overall rating possible, with said AEB system avoiding collision at speeds up to 37 miles per hour (60 kilometers per hour) in nighttime conditions. Both the LATCH system and seat belt reminders were rated good. But more importantly, the Crown aced every single crashworthiness test thrown at it.
The video below shows the Crown striking a rigid barrier at 40 miles per hour (64 kilometers per hour) with 25 percent of the vehicle’s front end. The crash test dummy in the driver’s seat represents an average-sized adult man. The driver-side small overlap front test’s crash forces go directly into the driver-side front wheel, suspension, and firewall. As a result, said wheel is forced into the footwell. The driver-side front disc brake separates from the vehicle, and the front end is all knackered.
Even so, the dummy’s sensors didn’t record any risk of serious injuries to the driver’s feet, thigh, chest, neck, or head. The IIHS also noted excellent airbag performance for the frontal and curtain airbags.
Photo: IIHS
Internally referred to under the S235 codename, the crossover-type Crown went on sale in the US market for the 2023 model year. A four-door fastback with TNGA-K underpinnings from the Avalon, the Crown is exclusively hybrid. The XLE and Limited both use a 2.5L naturally-aspirated I4, whereas the Platinum levels up to a 2.4L turbo four-pot lump.
What kind of gas mileage can you expect from said powertrains? Think 41 miles per gallon (make that 5.7 liters per 100 kilometers) for the XLE and Limited. In the Platinum’s case, 30 miles per gallon (7.8 liters per 100 kilometers) is the EPA’s rating in the combined test cycle. Closer to the Avalon than the Camry in wheelbase, the Crown is made in Japan at the Motomachi and Tsutsumi factories.
Classified as an E-segment vehicle, the crossover-type Crown will be joined by the Sport, Sedan, and Estate. Codenamed S236, the Sport was unleashed at the beginning of October 2023 for the 2024 model year with Ferrari Purosangue-like design cues for the front end. Similar to the crossover, the sportier cousin also comes with 2.5- and 2.4-liter mills.
#IIHSNews: Toyota Crown clinches highest IIHS award.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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