Did you know how the car world instantly noticed that the Toyota Crown SUV looks similar to the eye-watering expensive Ferrari Purosangue? The Japanese automaker has now made even more similar to the exotic crossover with the newly launched Crown Sport Z.
Unveiled and on sale in the brand's home market, the all-new Toyota Crown Sport features a few exterior enhancements, some tweaks in the cabin, and additional modifications beneath the skin to make it worthy of the added suffix.
One of the best ways to recognize it is to look at the rear fenders, which were significantly extended from the pillar to the tires. This upgrade makes the vehicle look more dynamic. Up front, it has the same lighting signature. As for the wheels, it rides on a 21-inch set.
Toyota's new Crown Sport is available in five bi-tone and six monotone exterior colors. In the cabin, it can be ordered with the new Sand Brown and Black scheme. The automaker says they paid extra attention to the rocker panels to aid ingress and egress, stating at the same time that they reshaped the rear door cards to improve leg movement.
Moreover, this model is the brand's first to use the "sound-regulating ceiling." This feature reflects sounds within the cockpit, thus making it easier for occupants to communicate on the go without having to raise their voices.
Photo: Toyota
The work wasn't done here, as the Crown Sport also comes with a specially configured suspension that enhances the handling and provides more feedback to those behind the wheel. It also features an optimally tuned Dynamic Rear Steering for improved stability at high speeds and agility at low speeds.
On the safety front, the Toyota Safety Sense is on deck. The bundle comprises stuff such as the proactive driving assist, teammate advanced drive, advanced park, blind spot monitor, safe exit assist, and panoramic view monitor for more pleasant daily commutes and weekend getaways.
Powering the new Crown Sport is the 2.5-liter electrified assembly. Toyota hasn't detailed it on this model, but we are probably looking at identical output and torque to the "elevated sedan" version sold in our market. Here, the hybrid powertrain has a total system output of 236 hp (239 ps/176 kW), which allows it to accelerate to 60 mph (97 kph) in 7.6 seconds.
Choosing the more advanced Platinum trim level (the 2.5L assembly powers the XLE and Limited in the US) will bring even more power to the party courtesy of a 2.4-liter electric mill. This variant enjoys a total of 340 hp (345 ps/254 kW) and takes 5.7 seconds from 0 to 60 mph.
Toyota is already accepting orders for the new Crown Sport Z in Japan, where it starts at 5,900,000 yen (equaling $39,694). In the US, the high-riding four-door Crown kicks off from $40,050 for the XLE, $45,650 for the Limited, and $53,070 for the Platinum.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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