Toyota has revealed the latest member of the Crown family for Japan, ahead of a launch in the domestic market later this month.
The 2024 Toyota Crown Sedan joins the existing Crown Crossover and Crown Sport body variants, and for the first time the Crown will offer a hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain option shared with the Mirai.
According to Toyota, the new Crown Sedan “offers excellent ride comfort and a high-quality driving experience, as well as a relaxing space meeting the needs of chauffeured cars”. While labelled a ‘sedan’, the company says the new Crown sports a design that “redefines” the traditional sedan aesthetic.
Two distinct variants will be offered at launch, built at Toyota’s Motomachi Plant in Japan.
The entry-level Crown Sedan HEV uses a 2.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain, while the FCEV is the aforementioned hydrogen-fuelled version. Both are rear-wheel drive.
Toyota says the Crown Sedan FCEV can achieve driving range of “around 820 kilometres per three-minute hydrogen refill”, and touts the zero local emissions and driving refinement of the quiet drivetrain.
The FCEV is equipped with three high-pressure hydrogen tanks and fuel cells, and there’s an electric motor on the rear axle producing 134kW and 300Nm. It’s also equipped with a 4.0Ah lithium-ion battery pack.
Meanwhile, the Crown Sedan HEV is the “first Toyota vehicle equipped with a newly developed 2.5-litre multi-stage hybrid system“. The updated drivetrain is claimed to offer “maximum engine output” from “around 43 kilometres per hour compared to 140 kilometres per hour with existing systems”.
Toyota says the new hybrid system’s transmission features “stepped gears”, though Japanese specifications still list a “multi-stage hybrid transmission” or “electronic continuously variable transmission” (e-CVT). No switching out for a torque converter auto here like the brand’s Hybrid MAX products.
Design-wise the Crown Sedan boasts an almost fastback design, with a long bonnet flowing into a roofline that’s perhaps closer to a four-door coupe. Up front there’s a “hammerhead design” to the fascia and lighting elements to give off an impression of width, replicated at the rear by a full-width light bar treatment.
Inside, there’s a continued emphasis on width and space with a lot of straight lines and large widescreen displays, complemented by woodgrain panelling throughout. Toyota has employed what it calls an “island architecture”, where “various functions such as displays and shifts are grouped together and arranged like an island”.
Ambient LED interior lighting is available with 64-colour customisation, and is claimed to incorporate the spirit of ‘omotenashi’, or hospitality. Toyota likens the lighting to a “gentle, lantern-like glow”.
The interior is available in Black and Mid-Brown, while the exterior is offered with six finishes: White, Silver, Black, Metal, Grey and Bronze.
Being a chauffeur-focused vehicle, the Crown Sedan has a big focus on rear-seat comfort as well.
Toyota quotes a “three-metre wheelbase” – or 3000mm – which makes for “ample legroom” as well as easier ingress and egress.
There are “relaxation features” and powered sunshades to help create the “ultimate mobility space”, and the Adaptive Vehicle Suspension system optimises suspension settings and damping force to “ensure that unevenness on road surfaces does not carry through to occupants”, and minimises body roll and vibrations transmitted from the road.
Both powertrain variants offer two accessory outlets inside the vehicle too, which are rated at AC100V 1500W. These power outlets can be used when the vehicle is running, as well as when stopped as emergency power supply.
Toyota projects around 600 units per month will be built at the Motomachi plant, with pricing starting at 7,300,000 Japanese Yen (JPY) (A$75,449) for the HEV, and 8,300,000 JPY (A$85,785) for the FCEV.
Customers in Japan can also opt into Crown Sedan ownership via Kinto subscription services, which also include packages incorporating insurance, taxes, maintenance and other car-related costs. The Crown Sedan can be had from 108,130 JPY (A$1117) per month.
Like the wider Crown line-up, don’t expect to see this vehicle in Australian Toyota dealerships anytime soon. We can dream though, right?
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