Toyota on Oct. 12 announced the next generation of its most recent full-size sedan line, the Toyota Crown. The Toyota Crown offers two electrified powertrains, including the Hybrid Max system, and standard AWD across all grades.

Available in three grades: XLE, Limited, and Platinum, Toyota Crown will offer a choice of two different hybrid powertrains: Hybrid MAX or the Toyota Hybrid System (THS).

Hybrid MAX is Toyota’s performance hybrid that has 340 net combined horsepower and a net 400 lb-ft. of torque. Exclusive to the Platinum grade, it pairs front and rear electric motors with a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine and direct shift 6-speed automatic transmission.

Hybrid MAX produces torque at low RPM and has an EPA-estimated 30 MPG combined city/highway fuel economy rating.

The XLE and Limited grades are equipped with the THS that pairs front and rear electric motors with a 2.5-liter engine. This hybrid system has an EPA-estimated 41 MPG combined city/highway rating. The system’s nickel-metal hydride battery output has increased to support responsive acceleration at low speeds.

Built on Toyota’s GA-K platform (TNGA-K), the Toyota Crown has an elevated stance that comes in part from standard 19-inch or available 21-inch wheels.

On the inside, its cabin has available leather-trimmed seating, along with a full digital display, piano key controls, vertical wireless charging port, and the latest Toyota audio multimedia system with available 11-speaker JBL Premium audio system pack in tech and entertainment.

2024 Toyota Crown Pricing

• Crown XLE: $40,050

• Crown Limited: $45,650

• Crown Platinum: $53,070

Three Grades, All Hybrid, and All Wheel Drive 

The XLE grade comes equipped with the 2.5-liter THS, electronic on-demand all-wheel drive, three selectable drive modes, 19-inch alloy wheels, heated and powered woven fabric front seats, and the latest Toyota multimedia system with a 12.3-inch touchscreen and 6 speakers. 

The Limited grade also comes equipped with XLE features and adds multibeam LED headlights, a fixed panoramic roof, leather-trimmed seats that are heated and ventilated up front and heated in the rear, 11-speaker JBL Premium audio system, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and front and rear parking assist with automatic braking.

There is also an available advanced technology package that adds dark metallic 21-inch, 10-spoke alloy wheels, a panoramic view monitor, and digital key compatibility on select grades (with Remote Connect subscription).

Additionally, the Toyota Crown advanced technology package available on the Limited grade now includes: 

• Traffic jam assist: provides hands-free control of steering, braking and acceleration on controlled-access freeways. At speeds under 25 mph and under certain conditions, traffic jam assist will activate to help ease the stress of stop-and-go traffic. (Requires Drive Connect trial or subscriptions) 

• Lane change assist: Toyota Crown’s available lane change assist is designed to help you safely change lanes in traffic by partially engaging the turn signal, detecting any vehicles in your way, and providing steering assistance into the next lane. 

• Front cross-traffic alert: front cross-traffic alert is designed to detect vehicles that may be approaching from the side so you can enter traffic at intersections with added safety. 

Hybrid: Two-Ways 

The Hybrid MAX System is designed to deliver torque-filled acceleration for a 0-60 time of 5.7 seconds, while also keeping an eye on fuel efficiency with an EPA-estimated 30 MPG combined rating. 

Hybrid MAX combines a 2.4-liter inline 4-cylinder turbo engine, tuned to hit peak torque between 2000-3000 RPM, with a front electric motor that helps maximize torque production. A rear wheel eAxle that includes a high-output water-cooled electric motor is coupled with the hybrid system to directly transmit force to all four wheels, ensuring a thrilling throttle response and linear acceleration throughout the power band. 

Also available is the fourth-generation THS, which combines a 2.5-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine with two electric motors in a highly compact system.

The gas engine employs variable valve timing-intelligent by electric motor (VVT-iE) on the intake camshaft, and VVT-i on the exhaust camshaft. The variable range for the valve timings of both the intake and exhaust are set to maximize both fuel consumption and output. Toyota Crown offers either a direct shift six-speed automatic transmission (Platinum grade only) or an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (eCVT) on the XLE and Limited grades. 

All-Wheel Drive

The XLE and Limited grades come standard with Toyota’s electronic on-demand all-wheel drive and the Platinum grade comes with full-time electronic all-wheel drive, two systems that take maximum advantage of the hybrid powertrain’s benefits. 

Instead of using a transfer case and driveshaft to the rear wheels, electronic on-demand AWD on the XLE and Limited grades employs a separate rear-mounted electric motor to power the rear wheels when needed. Electronic on-demand AWD achieves stable performance by driving the rear wheels with a rear motor, to provide traction when needed in slippery conditions.

The front and rear wheel driving force distribution is controlled to the front and rear wheels between 100:0 and 20:80, for enhanced fuel efficiency and comfortable driving performance. 

On the Platinum grade, full-time electronic AWD paired with Hybrid MAX delivers power to the front and rear wheels via a front-mounted hybrid motor and a rear-mounted, eAxle electric motor. This system supports stable AWD performance and acceleration thanks to being paired with a direct shift six-speed automatic transmission. Full-time electronic AWD adjusts between a 70:30 and 20:80 front- and rear-wheel power split, depending on the driving situation.

This new AWD system enhances the driving force of the rear wheels and provides the feel of rear-wheel-drive maneuverability, straight-line stability, and responsive acceleration. 

Inside the Cabin 

The Toyota Crown comes with standard heated front seats that can be adjusted to three levels. Limited and Platinum add standard ventilated front seats and heated rear seats.

Dual-zone climate control, the standard for all grades, is accessed via an illuminated control panel that runs along the dashboard, just below the multimedia screen, along with other frequently used functions.

All Toyota Crown grades also have a 12.3-inch color MID. Drivers can select different displays with the push of a button, including a Hybrid System indicator showing the driver system output and regeneration status to encourage eco-driving habits. As used on other Toyota hybrid models, the display suggests optimal amounts of acceleration for eco-driving. 

Toyota Crown Platinum and Limited grades include a standard fixed panoramic moonroof. For added function and ambience, in-cabin LED lighting adds a premium feel. Illumination includes overhead and front/rear footwell lighting, cup holders, USB ports, and door handle accents.

To aid outward visibility, the Platinum grade comes standard with a panoramic view monitor, which provides a 360-degree overhead view of the vehicle’s surroundings.

Second Nature Technology 

All Toyota Crown models feature the Toyota audio multimedia system. With an available 12.3-inch touchscreen, the system offers a wide range of connectivity and convenience features, including over-the-air (OTA) updates.

Users can interact with the system through touch and voice activation. With intelligent assistant available through an active Drive Connect trial or subscription, simple phrases like “Hey Toyota” awaken the system for voice-activated commands to search for directions, find points of interest (POI), adjust audio controls, change the cabin temperatures, and more. One-year trial included. 

In addition, the cloud-based native navigation system also offered through Drive Connect allows for real-time OTA updates for mapping and POI, and Google POI data is integrated to ensure up-to-date search capability. 

Advanced Park, Safety & Other Technology 

The Toyota Crown comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0). The safety suite includes:  

• Pre-collision system with pedestrian detection: designed to help detect a vehicle, pedestrian, bicyclist, or motorcyclist and provide an audio/visual forward collision warning under certain circumstances. If you don’t react, the system is designed to provide automatic emergency braking. 

• Full-speed range dynamic radar cruise control: intended for highway use, dynamic radar cruise control (DRCC) is an adaptive cruise control system that is designed to be set at speeds above 20 mph and uses vehicle-to-vehicle distance control to help maintain a preset distance from the vehicle ahead of you. 

• Lane departure alert with steering assist: when white/yellow lane markings or certain road edge boundary lines are detected at speeds above 30 mph, a lane departure alert with steering assist (LDA w/SA) is designed to issue an audio/visual lane departure warning if an inadvertent lane departure is detected. If the driver does not take corrective action, the system is also designed to provide gentle corrective steering for lane-keeping assistance. 

• Lane tracing assist (LTA): when dynamic radar cruise control (DRCC) is enabled and lane markers are detected, LTA uses the lines on the road and/or preceding vehicles to provide active driving assistance and help keep the vehicle centered in its lane.  

• Road sign assist (RSA): using an intelligent camera, RSA is designed to detect speed limit signs, stop signs, Do Not Enter signs, yield signs, and certain warning signs, and display an icon of the sign on the multi-information display. 

• Automatic high beams (AHB): designed to help you see more clearly at night at speeds above 21 mph. The AHB system is designed to detect the headlights of oncoming vehicles and taillights of preceding vehicles, then automatically toggle between high and low beams accordingly. 

• Proactive driving assist: when system operating conditions are met, using the vehicle’s camera and radar, this system provides gentle braking into curves or gentle braking and/or steering to help support driving tasks such as distance control between your vehicle and a preceding vehicle, pedestrian or bicyclist. 

In addition to the TSS 3.0 system, standard convenience features on the Crown include a blind spot monitor, which is designed to help detect and warn you of vehicles approaching or positioned in the adjacent lanes, and a rear cross-traffic alert for added peace of mind by helping to detect vehicles approaching from either side while backing out and alerting you with a visual and audible warning. 

Standard on the Platinum grade is Toyota’s advanced park system.

Sensors identify an open parking space, then once selected by the driver, the system controls steering, shifting, acceleration, and braking for hands-free parallel or reverse/forward perpendicular parking. Traffic jam assist, front-cross traffic alert, and lane change assist are also now standard on the Platinum grade and available through the advanced tech package on the Limited grade.  

Toyota’s rear seat reminder comes standard on all Toyota Crown grades. The feature can note whether a rear door was opened after the vehicle has been turned on, with a reminder message in the instrument cluster after the engine is turned off, accompanied by multitone chimes.