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The Toyota Crown lineup will expand with hydrogen fuel cell and plug-in hybrid powertrains, as well as a variety of body styles, Toyota confirmed on Wednesday—though it hasn’t confirmed what that will be coming to the US.
The Crown returns to the US for the 2023 model year with a hybrid powertrain and raised sedan body style that Toyota now calls the “Crossover type”. Toyota has previously shown the conventional sedan, “Sport” (hatchback) and “Estate” (wagon) versions of the Crown in concept form, and on Wednesday released some details about the production version of the Crown variant.
First to arrive is the Crown Sport, launched this fall with a hybrid powertrain, followed by a plug-in hybrid version this winter. The Crown sedan will also arrive this fall, and will feature a hybrid and fuel cell powertrain, while the Crown Estate will launch in 2024 with a hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Toyota Crown Sport prototype
Compared to the current US-market Crown, the new sedan will be about 2.0 inches longer, 2.0 inches wider, and will sit about 3.0 inches lower. The Sport and Estate versions will be shorter than the sedan, but wider, with the Estate standing slightly taller than the Sport.
Toyota did not provide further details about the powertrains. The Crown was revealed for the US with the automaker’s sportier Hybrid Max powertrain, which revolves around a conventional automatic transmission instead of Toyota’s signature planetary hybrid system, which some versions still get. With the standard hybrid system, the Crown achieved a combined 41 mpg in EPA testing.
A report on Crown PHEV, or Crown Prime, to use Toyota’s current plug-in hybrid nomenclature, circulated shortly after the Crown hybrid’s US launch. But Toyota has yet to confirm plans to offer the plug-in hybrid powertrain mentioned in this release in the Crown’s US market. A plug-in version of the Highlander or Grand Highlander is still expected.
Toyota Crown Estate prototype
On the fuel cell front, Toyota redesigned the Mirai for 2021 as a sportier rear-wheel drive sedan, and repositioned its powertrain as “minus emissions” as it cleans the air. With the Mirai still relatively fresh, there is no pressing need for Toyota to replace it, or bring a second model to the minuscule US fuel cell vehicle market.
Toyota is planning to start making fuel cell modules in the US starting this year. They will be part of a kit that will essentially replace the traditional heavy-duty diesel engine in Class 8 semi trucks. Toyota didn’t mention passenger cars in the project’s announcement, but hydrogen fuel cell technology could help automakers meet proposed stricter emission standards. by the EPA.
But the Crown’s Sport and other Estate body styles? We hope.
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