The Toyota Crown is a large sedan, a model that replaces the Toyota Avalon for 2023. The Crown name is one of Toyota’s oldest, a model that’s been absent from the U.S. for decades. The latest Crown launches this model’s fourteenth generation, a hybrid-only model that features crossover features.
2023 Toyota Crown Overview
The 2023 Toyota Crown comes with standard all-wheel drive and seats five. The Crown is a hybrid model offered in three grades: XLE Hybrid AWD ($39,950), Limited Hybrid AWD ($45,550), and Platinum Hybrid MAX AWD ($52,350).
Toyota supplies the Crown with two distinct four-cylinder engines, two separate transmissions, and a hybrid battery system.
Exterior and Interior Highlights
Is the Toyota Crown a sedan or a crossover? This wouldn’t be the first time the Toyota brand brought some confusion to the design mix. Witness the first-generation Toyota Venza, a model that blended elements from a wagon with a crossover to form what was arguably one of the more controversial designs of its time.
The fastback design shouldn’t fool you. It has a conventional trunk, not a liftgate like the Kia Stinger. Its ground clearance is a smidge taller than a Camry, but the Crown is four inches taller overall.
Inside, the cabin is a near contrast to the exterior, at least from a design drama standpoint. It is no fancier than other Toyota’s including its Avalon predecessor. We like how Toyota takes two screens – one representing the instrument panel and the second one the center console – to cover more than half the dashboard. The shift lever sits at the base of the console between the seats. Oversized chairs occupy the front row with large door openings for ease of access and egress.
Standard and Available Equipment
Toyota dresses the Crown with standard cloth and imitation leather-covered seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Most grades, however, come with full leather seating. Power controlled and heated front seats are standard. Move up through the grade range and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel come in. The Platinum model adds steering wheel mounted paddle shifters.
Tech and Safety Equipment
Toyota equips the Crown with a pair of 12.3-inch screens. The left screen is the digital gauge display; the right screen is the touchscreen display. Six speakers, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and satellite radio are included. Five total USB ports and a wireless device charger are included. The two top grades come with an 11-speaker JBL audio system.
You would expect a name such as “Crown” to deliver the top equipment. In the safety arena, the Crown does not disappoint. Every model comes with Toyota Safety Sense (TSS version 3.0), the latest version of this brand’s driver-assist and active safety features. Toyota upgraded the front automatic braking system to detect motorcycles and guardrails, along with pedestrians and cars. Moreover, the system works to avoid collisions when turning across an intersection. Other standard features include adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high beams. Choose either the Limited and Platinum grades and these gain rear automatic braking along with rain-sensing windshield wipers.
Toyota Crown Powertrains
Like the Prius, Venza, and Sienna, the Crown is a hybrid-only model. Unlike the others, Toyota offers a pair of conventional hybrid systems with the new model.
Two of the three trims come with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 184 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. Power routes to the wheels utilizing a continuously variable transmission.
The second engine goes under the MAX banner, the same term used for the Tundra large pickup truck and Sequoia full-size SUV. This model comes with a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that develops 264 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. Power travels to the wheels utilizing a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Toyota Crown Considerations
Though we haven’t seen a Crown in the U.S. for decades, the name has continued uninterrupted in Japan. The 2023 Crown launches a new generation and is, as such, not yet proven. However, we believe that its hybrid options make it a compelling model as well as a laudable replacement for the retired Toyota Avalon.
2023 Toyota Crown Specifications
| Toyota | 2023 Crown |
|---|---|
| Segment | Large Sedan |
| Price Range | From $39,950 to $52,350 |
| Destination Charge | $1,095 |
| Engine No. 1 | 2.5-liter, Hybrid I4 |
| Horsepower | 184 @ 6,000 rpm |
| Torque (lb.-ft.) | 163 @ 3,600 to 5,200 rpm |
| Transmission | Continuously variable automatic |
| Engine No. 2 | 2.4-liter, Hybrid Turbo I4 |
| Horsepower | 264 @ 6,000 |
| Torque (lb.-ft.) | 332 @ 2,000 to 3,000 |
| Transmission | 6-speed automatic |
| Seating | 5 |
| Curb Weight (pounds) | 4,250 to 4,306 |
| Wheelbase (inches) | 112.2 |
| Length (inches) | 196.1 |
| Width (inches) | 72.4 |
| Height (inches) | 60.6 |
| Headroom (f,r…inches) | 38.2, 37.5 |
| Legroom (f,r…inches) | 42.1, 38.9 |
| Shoulder room (f,r…inches) | 57.1, 55.1 |
| Hip room (f,r…inches) | 55.2, 53.1 |
| Storage (bed length) | 15.2 |
| Gross vehicle weight (pounds) | 5,020 to 5,285 |
| Towing (pounds) | NR |
| Payload (pounds) | NR |
| Fuel | regular |
| Fuel Tank (gallons) | 14.5 |
| EPA Fuel MPG (city/highway/combined) | 29/32/30 (Hybrid Max); 42/41/41 (Hybrid) |
| Manufacturing Plant | Motomachi, Aichi JAPAN |
See Also — Swan Song for the Toyota Avalon
Specifications supplied by the manufacturer. Compiled by Tom Keegan.
