Toyota Crown to return as flagship SUV
Reports out of Japan suggest iconic Toyota nameplate could return to Oz as Japanese brand’s crowing SUV jewelThe Toyota Crown could return Down Under as a new flagship SUV that will be bigger and even more expensive than the latest 300 Series version of the new Toyota LandCruiser – the model it will replace in North America.
According to a report by
Citing anonymous Toyota insiders, Reuters claims the reborn Crown will be released in Japan and exported to China and North America in mid-2023, with the hybrid powertrain set to be the default option before the EV version arrives early in 2024.
The plug-in hybrid Crown, meanwhile, will reportedly be reserved exclusively for the Japanese market.
Increasing its chances of becoming available in Australia, the new Crown SUV will be produced in right-hand drive in Japan, where the Crown nameplate has adorned 15 generations of large sedans since 1955 – including the current model released in 2018 – and continues to do taxi duty around the country.
Given it will be based on a “remodelled” sedan, it remains unclear whether the Crown SUV will ride on the LandCruiser’s TNGA-F ladder frame chassis or an enlarged version of the sedan’s TNGA-L monocoque platform.
Ultimately, that will come down to how rugged and off-road capable Toyota opts to make its new flagship SUV.
Befitting of its nameplate, the Crown is expected to be the most expensive Toyota SUV offered globally and could even rub shoulders with the most lavish Lexus models in terms of price.
In North America, the new Lexus LX is tipped to continue the recently axed LandCruiser’s off-roading legacy – albeit at a higher price point – while the Tundra-based Toyota Sequioa will soldier on as the Toyota brand’s full-size SUV offering.
If the new Crown is sold Down Under, it would bring to nine the number of SUV models in the Toyota Australia line-up, which is currently topped by the $138,790 LC300 Sahara ZX, and serve as the absolute pinnacle of the Toyota brand.
To this end we don’t anticipate the Crown SUV to be as rugged as the LandCruiser or LX, but more akin to the high-end Mercedes-Benz GLS and BMW X7 upper-large luxury SUVs.
Related: Toyota LandCruiser Hybrid closer
Related: Toyota electric car surge coming
Related: Lexus LX 2022 Review
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