A couple of years ago, hearsay suggested that a legendary nameplate from Toyota’s roster will be reimagined in the guise of a sport utility vehicle. Jumping forward to February 2022, that’s when a document forwarded by Toyota Motor North America to its New York dealers confirmed the all-new Crown’s on-sale date as October 2022.
The sales plan for the said region includes 200 units of the mystery sport utility vehicle, which is actually a jacked-up sedan instead of a crossover. It’s fairly similar to the Chinese Ford Evos and European Citroen C5X, both five-door affairs with a pinch of coupe styling due to the sloping roofline.
Rumored to be revealed on July 15th, the Crown reportedly measures 4,930 millimeters in length, which is a bit more than the fifteenth generation. Indeed, the Crown goes back a long way. To whom it may concern, the most luxurious Toyota after the flagship Century dates back to 1955. The sixteenth generation reportedly measures 2,850 millimeters in wheelbase, 70 fewer millimeters than the Crown that’s currently exclusive to Japan.
Instead of the rear-/all-wheel-drive Toyota GA-L platform, the SUV-like Crown is anticipated to feature Toyota’s GA-K platform for front-/all-wheel-drive applications. Developed for unibody D- and E-segment vehicles, the GA-K currently underpins the likes of the RAV4, Camry, Avalon, Highlander, Sienna minivan, Lexus ES, NX, and the Lexus RX.
If the rumor turns out true, then don’t expect go-anywhere capabilities. Also referred to as the Crown Cross, the unibody sport utility vehicle is believed to pack a continuously variable transmission matched with a 2.5L engine, most likely shared with the RX 350h. A 2.4L turbocharged like the one used in the RX 500h is also expected, connected to a six-speed automatic. An electric-only powertrain may arrive later on, and the Japanese automaker is expected to find room for a plug-in hybrid as well.
Rumored to be revealed on July 15th, the Crown reportedly measures 4,930 millimeters in length, which is a bit more than the fifteenth generation. Indeed, the Crown goes back a long way. To whom it may concern, the most luxurious Toyota after the flagship Century dates back to 1955. The sixteenth generation reportedly measures 2,850 millimeters in wheelbase, 70 fewer millimeters than the Crown that’s currently exclusive to Japan.
Instead of the rear-/all-wheel-drive Toyota GA-L platform, the SUV-like Crown is anticipated to feature Toyota’s GA-K platform for front-/all-wheel-drive applications. Developed for unibody D- and E-segment vehicles, the GA-K currently underpins the likes of the RAV4, Camry, Avalon, Highlander, Sienna minivan, Lexus ES, NX, and the Lexus RX.
If the rumor turns out true, then don’t expect go-anywhere capabilities. Also referred to as the Crown Cross, the unibody sport utility vehicle is believed to pack a continuously variable transmission matched with a 2.5L engine, most likely shared with the RX 350h. A 2.4L turbocharged like the one used in the RX 500h is also expected, connected to a six-speed automatic. An electric-only powertrain may arrive later on, and the Japanese automaker is expected to find room for a plug-in hybrid as well.