• Here is Auto123’s first-drive review of the brand-new 2023 Toyota Crown.
• The model is the de-facto replacement for the defunct Toyota Avalon.
• What we have here is a sedan, or a four-door-coupe, or a crossover, or… you decide.
Updated October 25, 2022
Here is pricing for the 2023 Toyota Crown, set to arrive at Canadian dealerships in early 2023:
XLE: $45,590 CAD
Limited: $50,990 CAD
Platinum: $59,990 CAD
Bowmanville, ON - What we have here, in the new Toyota Crown, is definitely a case of “this is not your father’s/uncle’s/grandma’s Crown” – especially if your father/uncle/grandma is not from Japan because that’s where you found most Crowns. These were full-size, often luxurious sedans tapped to haul taxi patrons and dignitaries alike. Something like the JDM (“Japanese Domestic Market”) version of the Lincoln Town Car.
Times have changed, of course. The platform on which that Town Car was based is no longer and while the Crown is back, it’s in a very different form.
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What is that form, exactly? Well, it’s a hybrid that with its aggressive sloping roofline bears a close likeness to the four-door coupes that are starting to become fixtures in many German luxury manufacturer lineups.
The Crown doesn’t lose the sedan format altogether. For starters it has a traditional trunk. Meanwhile its door handles are quite bold on my Platinum Hybrid MAX tester, all big and finished in bright chrome. On the other hand, it also gets a tall-ish ride height, so it’s tough to classify.
Does it compete with the Honda Accord Hybrid? Well, Toyota’s Camry kind of does that. What about a hybrid CUV like a Ford Escape or Santa Fe? Well, the Crown has a trunk and Toyota already has the RAV4 Hybrid.
You could say the new Crown goes after the likes of the BMW X6 or Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe but those are expensive vehicles from luxury brands so that doesn’t really work, either.
Are we seeing the birth of a new segment here? Discuss.
The exterior
Anyway. From the front three-quarter angle, the ultra-narrow LED headlights and large grille opening combine with the 21-inch dual-tone multi-spoke wheels – with chrome accents on the spokes looking a little like sharpened knives – to form a styling package that looks like few other vehicles out there, and certainly no other Toyotas. In fact, if not for the Toyota logo on the hood, you’d have a hard time identifying the maker of this car, so out-of-pocket is the whole shebang.
There’s more uniqueness on the rear fascia. We once again see a narrow slit instead of a light housing and a trunk detail that, while evocative of a baleen whale’s maw, at least provides an eye-catching detail that stands out against the all-black trunk panel. The red and black colour combo, by the way, is right on the money.
Overall, when it comes to styling, there’s a lot going on here. I’m certain some will find it a tad over-styled, likely pointing at the black lower door inserts (you can have too much of a good thing), black wheel-arch extensions and maybe even the way the black hood bleeds into the front fascia.
The interior
Inside, it’s a different story. Safe to say there’s actually very little in the way of flash. The dash is finished with an array of right angles and straight lines – the Camry actually has the more adventurous dash design – and the HVAC buttons are fairly traditionally styled and aligned in a tidy straight line at the base of the centre stack.
There are a few details to catch the eye. You have a digital gauge cluster, as well as some bronze inserts on the dash and steering wheel that break up what is a fairly monotone affair. The gear selector lever – well, it’s more of a switch, really – looks like something you might see in a Lexus but has an action that’s more akin to what you’d find in a Prius.
What you do get that I appreciate very much is the latest version of Toyota’s infotainment interface as standard on all three trims (XLE, Limited and Platinum). Simply called “Toyota Multimedia System”—no mincing words here – is comes with a 12.3-inch widescreen display with voice activation for a number of commands, from finding the nearest Arby’s to guiding you home. The touchscreen is responsive, the graphics are nice and after what seems like an eternity, Toyota has finally gotten up to speed when it comes to infotainment.
You also get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (both pair nicely with wireless charging, which is done by inserting your device into a handy vertical cubby just ahead of the shifter), and the Platinum gets 11-speaker JBL audio, which is rather good.
The front seats are comfortable (and come heated and cooled to three levels on the Platinum) and thanks to all those straight edges, there are precious few corners on which to strike an errant knee or elbow.
That’s all well and good but the real question considering that roofline and body style is how it all affects the back seat, especially in terms of rear headroom. I was surprised to discover the impact wasn’t anywhere near as I thought it would be, even with the full-length moonroof (standard on Limited and Platinum trims).
Even with the driver’s seat set for a tall driver like myself, there was room enough for my knees, and they’ve mounted the seat low enough that it’s actually usable for adults. The low mounted seat also makes entrance and egress easier, which is nice because the back doors to have to shrink to meet that roofline.
The powertrains
The Crown will be offered with two hybrid powertrains: one combines a naturally aspirated 2.5L 4-cylinder engine with three EV motors, while my Platinum tester gets the full-pull Hybrid MAX system which includes a 2.4L turbocharged 340-hp four banger with a front electric motor plus an “eAxle” rear axle that gets its own control unit and is able to quickly distribute power to the wheels.
As a result of all this, AWD – called, specifically, E-Four AWD -- is achieved not with a driveshaft, but with electric power. With the eAxle, there’s always some power been sent to the rear wheels, between a 70:30 and 20:80 split.
On the road
The AWD system plus all that power and the fact the Hybrid MAX system comes paired with a 6-speed automatic (as opposed to the eCVT the other trims get) means acceleration from stop is strong and comes on quickly and smoothly so that you’re never stressed for power when it comes to passing on a two-lane road or entering a freeway and so on.
Since this is a traditional auto, meanwhile, in-gear acceleration is nicely on-tap as well. There’s none of that straining we’re so used to hearing from hybrids equipped with CVTs, just a confident forward surge that is befitting of what is essentially a flagship sedan.
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