Toyota sundown its flagship sedan, the Toyota Avalon, after the 2022 mannequin 12 months. Now, the corporate is dutifully changing it with a brand-new design named after the enduring head jewellery for monarchs.
The 2023 Toyota Crown is right here. Pretty. However, really, Toyota first constructed the Crown in 1955. And, over time, Toyota has ticked off 15 generations of this massive sedan. What’s new is that technology 16 is U.S.-bound for the primary time.
Take a second to have a look at the 2023 Toyota Crown. Good. Now, please take one other second to sympathize — for me. So many crown puns always fireplace off in my mind and swirl round searching for an exit, attempting to take management of my fingertips as I write. However, so far, I’ve resisted these temptations. You’re welcome.
Identify apart, this new flagship sedan performs a heady and critical position within the Toyota lineup and, certainly, the automotive market as a complete.
In any case, the Crown is a automotive and never an SUV. And Toyota bets that People — at the very least a few of us — will proceed to decide on automobiles. Extra particularly, we’ll select a swoopy-shaped, tall “sedan” that comes customary with all-wheel-drive and one among two propulsion choices, each of them hybrid.
And don’t let the form idiot you — it’s a sedan. You get a trunk, not a liftgate. And regardless of standing greater than 5 ft tall, floor clearance is simply a tenth of an inch greater than a Toyota Camry’s, at 5.8 inches.
That mentioned, it nonetheless marks a relatively vital departure of idea when in comparison with the outgoing Avalon, which relied on front-wheel-drive and traditional sedan styling. This successor might meet the technical necessities of car-ness, but it surely definitely took greater than a few cues from as we speak’s crossover SUVs.
2023 Toyota Crown Overview
What Makes It Go?
Toyota says to count on the Crown to reach right here in early 2023. At the moment, you’ll see three trim ranges: XLE, Restricted, and Platinum.
For the primary two, Toyota bolted up a 2.5L, four-cylinder engine and two electrical motor assistants. One of many two sits up entrance with the engine. The opposite attaches to the rear axle and is what offers the rear wheel a part of all-wheel drive.
Rear axle power comes from a nickel-metal hydride battery pack, which is itself charged by braking power or the interior combustion engine up entrance.
All three machines working collectively produce a peak 236 horsepower. The interior combustion engine does in the end do a lot of the work. However the entrance electrical motor can present as a lot as 118 horsepower and 149 pound-feet of torque. And the rear motor contributes as much as 54 horsepower and 89 pound-feet of torque.
Consider, the electrical motors and gasoline engine can’t all ship peak energy on the identical time. That’s why you’ll be able to’t simply add the outputs up.
Definitely not blockbuster numbers right here, however loads to haul this 4,250-pound sedan round. And, certainly, you want however 7.6 seconds to achieve 60 mph from relaxation. Higher nonetheless, it does so all whereas delivering 42 mpg within the metropolis, 41 on the freeway and mixed. Not dangerous for such a giant factor.
A few fascinating notes. The transmission is what Toyota calls an eCVT, or digital repeatedly variable transmission. Using the electrical motor and clutches, you get what looks like gears — roughly — however no precise gears are concerned.
Additionally, it’s AWD, however what Toyota calls on-demand AWD, that means it’s front-wheel-drive except traction limitations dictate getting the rear concerned.
2023 Crown Platinum
However the third trim, Platinum, stands alone with a distinct, extra highly effective, and driver enthusiast-friendly hybrid powertrain. Basically, it’s the same structure: four-cylinder inner combustion engine, two electrical motors, one among them mounted on the rear axle. However the similarities cease there.
To start out, Toyota gave it a reputation: Hybrid Max. It features a turbocharged 2.4L engine (as an alternative of that naturally aspirated 2.5L engine), totally different electrical assistants, a six-speed computerized transmission, and a completely totally different tuning philosophy. The rear motor, specifically, delivers a a lot more healthy 79 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque.
Altogether, the Hybrid Max delivers 340 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, and it propels the Crown to 60 mph in simply 5.7 seconds. Not dangerous for a Toyota hybrid, huh?
And don’t low cost the transmission — getting actual ratios to work with quickens the powertrain’s reactions to your proper foot. Paddle shifters mounted on the wheel offer you a little bit of management, of which cogs do the work. Furthermore, Toyota swapped out the standard torque converter for a wet-clutch setup, which is smaller, lighter, and quick-reacting.
The draw back to all this added efficiency is effectivity. Gas financial system drops to 29 mpg within the metropolis, 32 on the freeway, and 30 mixed. You’ll be able to blame the turbo motor, added energy, and barely heavier curb weight. The Platinum weighs 4,306 kilos, in accordance with Toyota.
However, this powertrain can be full-time AWD. At any given second, the rear axle is offering at the very least 30% of the work to maneuver the Crown round. And it may well handle as a lot as 80% relying on the chosen drive mode and circumstances.
Step Contained in the Toyota Crown
Being burdened with flagship standing does bear out with inside comforts within the Crown. Normal tools consists of wi-fi smartphone connectivity and charging, heated entrance seats, a 12.3-inch heart console touchscreen, dual-zone local weather management, loads of USB ports, and loads of house, too.
As I already talked about, this Crown stands tall, 60.6 inches, to be exact. It’s additionally 196.1 inches lengthy and 72.4 inches vast. For context, that’s the identical width as a Toyota Camry, however about 4 inches longer and taller.
This form and measurement mix to permit for plush seats and loads of headroom, even when you choose a Restricted or Platinum trim, which provides a panoramic glass roof.
Going with a Restricted trim additionally provides leather-based to your entrance seats, which at the moment are heated and ventilated. And folk hanging out in again get heated seats, too. From the within, Platinum and Restricted trims look comparable. Get behind the wheel, nevertheless, and the variations instantly develop into obvious.
Time to Play!
From the driving force’s seat, the Crown Platinum’s distinct persona comes out. It’s not only a totally different powertrain — dealing with obtained much more consideration right here from the journey and dealing with engineers.
You roll on 21-inch wheels, as an alternative of 19s just like the XLE and Restricted. Additionally, Toyota put in adaptive shock absorbers to correctly agency issues up when the going will get twisty.
Throw the automotive in Sport + drive mode, chuck the Platinum right into a nook, and the physique stays surprisingly flat, even when the tires are screaming for consideration. The steering, whereas a bit on the sunshine facet, is exact, which makes it simple to put the automotive simply so. And the torquey electrical motor on the rear axle places in a mighty effort to make use of energy to maintain your path tidy as you exit.
That’s not all. The Crown additionally has a system referred to as lively cornering help, which makes use of the soundness management system to mitigate understeer.
As a driver, you are feeling a lot better chassis steadiness than anticipated — and sufficient energy to squish your bottom into the seat and motor off to the subsequent nook. Good clear enjoyable, I’d say.
Thoughts you, that is nonetheless a two-plus-ton big-ol’ sedan, therefore, efficiency is relative. Its limits are low and common habits continues to be fairly sedate. Nevertheless it is also much more playful and dynamically participating than you’d count on.
I imply, the very fact you even get a “Sport +” drive mode surprises me. It’s one among six modes, by the best way. There’s additionally Consolation, Customized, Regular, Eco, and Sport.
Street Manners Befitting a Monarch?
After all, in case you choose calm environment and a serene demeanor with correct etiquette displayed always, Toyota’s largest sedan does that, too.
Simply set the drive mode to Consolation to melt up the shocks and remind the engine to maintain quiet as a lot as attainable. In any case, Toyota did set up acoustic glass for the windshield and entrance facet home windows to maintain out the chaos.
In truth, the Restricted and XLE Crowns really feel that means on a regular basis. These trims take the consolation settings of the Platinum and simply roll with it.
You don’t get the engagement advantages of the full-time AWD or the extra adventurous energy, however neither of these provides to your serenity, anyway. And, being the flagship Toyota, the Crown delivers Lexus journey high quality and close to Lexus luxuries too.
2023 Toyota Crown Styling
Visually talking, the Crown makes a little bit of noise, nevertheless. It’s not jaw-droppingly daring, however industry-wise a bit totally different, maybe. However in comparison with the Avalon? Positively so.
The black, low-sitting grille is nestled underneath slender, virtually squinting LED headlights that look cool. The Crown then gracefully flows into the curved hood that units the tone for the remainder of the physique.
In profile, the Crown seems a contact bulbous. Nevertheless it largely works with a singular line flowing from the entrance of the roof all the best way all the way down to the rear of the automotive, which then shoots straight to the bottom with one good, clear vertical line.
It seems to be like a hatch. It’s not. It’s a trunk with 15 cubic ft of house and break up folding rear seats for extra room.
2023 Toyota Crown: All Hail the Automotive!
Contemplating all of this, the XLE beginning worth of $41,045 appears loads truthful. You get numerous house and luxury for that cash and higher than 40 mpg besides.
Staying fuel-miserly, however extra luxuriously, within the Restricted begins at $46,645. Going all in with the top-of-the-line Platinum mannequin will set you again at the very least $53,445.
A part of what you get, paradoxically sufficient, is one thing that stands out … in a Toyota. How so? Few automobiles seem like this, to start out. Fewer nonetheless do it whereas providing customary all-wheel-drive and hybrid energy. And, lastly, even fewer do it as a automotive.
SUVs proceed to make up the lion’s share of the U.S. market. And assets of producers very logically comply with swimsuit. The truth that Toyota continues to take care of its sedan lineup and, certainly, invests in it, makes me blissful.
SUVs signify the simpler path; Toyota selected the opposite. And I’d name that a crowning achievement. Wait, is {that a} pun? Dammit!
