The longest-running Toyota nameplate among passenger cars and the company's first model to be exported to the United States is about to transition to its 16th generation nearly 70 years since the original car went on sale. It will eschew the traditional sedan body style for something along the lines of a high-riding fastback. Even the Japanese automaker rhetorically asks on the dedicated website for the new Crown whether it's a sedan or an SUV.
It is believed the revamped model will come to the United States in the summer of 2023, presumably as 2024MY. Meanwhile, the world premiere is set for July 15. It's worth noting Toyota has already expanded the Crown lineup by introducing the nameplate in China. It's not used for dedicated models, but rather for high-end versions of the Highlander SUV and Vellfire minivan.
The Crown has traditionally been Toyota's flagship car at home in Japan if we exclude the low-volume Century that holds a special status in the lineup and is sold only to VIPs. Patent images have shown the next-gen car will look nothing like the outgoing model, which hasn't been all that popular since sedans have fallen out of favor in the Land of the Rising Sun.
If a recent report (related to those patent images) is to be believed, the new model will be quite large, stretching at 4,930 millimeters (194 inches) long, 1,840 mm (72.4 in) wide, and 1,540 mm (60.6 in) tall. The wheelbase is said to measure 2,850 mm (112.2 in) while the platform could be Toyota's TNGA-K. Two- and four-wheel-drive configurations are planned, along with hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrains.
The US-bound sedan/SUV is set to become the firm's most expensive model in the lineup as it'll apparently cost in the $50,000 range before options. Sources close to the matter are saying a purely electric derivative is planned for later in the product's life cycle, but it's unclear whether the EV will come to North America.
Back in April, Reuters wrote about how Toyota intends to update the Crown sedan and keep it on sale in its domestic market alongside this new model, with both to be produced in Japan.
