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Toyota calls our 2023 Crown a “lift-up sedan.” The coinage reminds us that the bard’s line, “A rose by another title,” works within the different course, too. That’s, the duck-billed platypus and red-lipped batfish would look simply as awkward in the event that they had been named Archangel and Jennifer. The query is, will this lift-up sedan look sweeter or much less awkward to the American market than comparable autos which have preceded it? Can the 2023 Toyota Crown triumph the place, thus far, within the internal-combustion section, patrons haven’t taken to physique kinds that splice the sedan and crossover segments?
Admittedly, the pattern measurement is small. The Honda Accord Crosstour will get known as up because the go-to comparator. Toyota distances the 2 by noting the Honda was designed to be a sensible crossover with a hatchback, the Crown is a premium sedan with a trunk. There was BMW’s Grand Turismo vary – undoubtedly sedan(ish), undoubtedly premium, undoubtedly short-lived. We may shoehorn the Acura ZDX right here, having approached this section black gap from the opposite aspect as a lowered crossover coupe as an alternative of an elevated sedan. It, too, obtained sucked into the singularity. Challengers: 0. Fast oblivion: 3.
Prior to now 27 years, Toyota’s taken three massive photographs at mixing established car segments. The primary was the 1994 Leisure Energetic Car with 4 Wheel Drive, extra generally referred to as the RAV4. On sale right here for the reason that 1996 mannequin yr, relentless market ardor made it the fourth-best-selling car within the U.S. in 2021. The advertising and marketing temporary couldn’t have been less complicated: An SUV that drives like a automobile. Much more necessary: There was no mistaking what it was; it regarded like an SUV.
13 years later, the second shot was the 2009 Toyota Venza, which cut up the distinction between the RAV4 minivan and a Camry wagon. Toyota touted it as mixing the “styling and luxury of a passenger automobile with the flexibleness of a sport utility car.” In-house entrepreneurs tagged it with, “You’re multiple factor. So is Venza.” However reviewers couldn’t come to a consensus on what that one factor was – a tricky destiny in a classification-obsessed world. I preferred every part concerning the Venza. However its fulsome utility couldn’t break via the nameless styling, advertising and marketing fugue, and the truth that it value about the identical because the clearly-an-SUV Toyota Highlander. In 10 years on sale within the U.S., the Venza bought about as many models because the RAV4 did in 2014.
Fourteen years later, the Crown marks Toyota’s third shot down the hole. Don Johnson, product supervisor at Toyota Product Schooling, advised us we’re getting this physique fashion out of the 4 new Crown variants as a result of “Toyota is not going to abandon the sedan market,” clarifying that Toyota does think about this a sedan. Effectively, Toyota USA does; Toyota Japan’s English language press supplies discuss with this physique as a crossover. The cynical take could be that if an automaker goes to cling to the sedan section within the U.S., that automaker will want one thing like a crossover to do it.
The thought of somewhat carry, Johnson advised us, was to “Give individuals leaving the sedan market a motive to remain, an opportunity to get what they need from a sedan and a crossover.” With the previous, which means extra dynamic dealing with. With the latter, which means greater sight strains and simpler ingress and egress. And once more that trunk, which patrons are anticipated to learn as a noteworthy distinction from earlier, comparable autos.
There’s subtext right here as effectively, in that Toyota isn’t attempting to maintain Avalon patrons. Ash Hack, car collection supervisor in Toyota Car Advertising and marketing and Communications, advised us, “The Avalon’s median [buyer] age was 66. The Crown is capturing at [the age bracket] 35-59 with a $125,000 median revenue.” That’s the tip of the Boomer tail, all of a extra prosperous Gen X, and a bit of Gen Y who will recognize the Crown’s “daring and placing innovation for the mannequin and sophistication,” as Toyota PR advised us.
Volvo and Subaru have made hay with ICE-powered lifted wagons. To this point, although, U.S. patrons have solely excused electrical sedan-CUV hybrids. Even then, we’re speaking about autos that clearly appear like crossovers smushed to sedan peak. The Crown matches the bottom clearance of the outgoing Avalon. The bottom clearances of the Chevrolet Bolt EUV, Volkswagen ID.4, Kia EV6, and Polestar 2 are a mere 0.2 inch to 1.5 inches greater than the Avalon. However their roof heights are 4 to eight inches greater they usually have hatchbacks, so that they’re crossovers so far as patrons are involved. Appears consumers will ignore blurry particulars for a fast, acquainted reply to, “What’s it?”
So there’s little doubt the Crown’s a daring transfer within the class – if it even has a category – and that it ups Toyota’s hybrid sport. The corporate’s ready till nearer to media drives to surrender particulars on tech just like the rear axle motors, driving modes, stiffer springs, and the electronically managed braking system. However we all know the Crown represents the primary time Toyota’s tuned a hybrid system for dynamic rewards and paired it with a standard automated transmission in a passenger automobile. Going additional to satisfy the Crown’s tech legacy, engineers developed the multi-plate moist begin clutch to exchange the standard torque converter and supply higher in-gear punch.
Since that is an opinion piece, I can say I’d give the Crown a greater probability of creating a market impression if it had been prettier and/or electrical. The automobile does look higher in individual, and the monotone coloration is the best way to go for the much less daring amongst us. The bi-tone paint job carves out the sedan’s particulars in much less elegant methods than I’d choose. And irrespective of the colour, it’s laborious to unsee the Nissan Maxima-esque strains within the rear three-quarter as soon as detected.
The surprising form incorporates surprising choices all through. The nickel-metal hydride battery feels like a throwback. Toyota stated that selection “was concerning the availability of elements for mass manufacturing. However there have been effectivity positive aspects with Ni-MH, so the sort works for proper now. In fact, the writing’s on the wall.” That’s maybe extra subtext, Toyota deciding it didn’t wish to fear about lithium-ion battery supplies for even the Crown’s small pack. Whither our electrical car future. …
Different intrigues embody the handbook prop used to carry up the curt hood; the Avalon comes with two hydraulic struts. We had been advised, “House owners don’t actually carry the hoods anymore.” Hack described the Crown at pace as “Extremely quiet – the purpose was to make it as quiet as doable inside.” Standing exterior, although, the Hybrid Max powertrain on the performance-oriented Platinum trim makes the identical dreary buzz as a frugal Toyota hybrid minus the frugality.
Inside, probably the most upscale inside obtainable is Softex artificial leather-based trim with perforated leather-based inserts within the seats, commonplace on the Restricted and the Platinum. Solely the mid-grade Restricted will get the selection of an inside coloration aside from black, with Macadamia and Chestnut/Black on the menu. Contemplating Toyota has Lexus to guard, and our suspicion that the Crown’s MSRP received’t be far off the Lexus ES, the Crown’s cabin is … positive. We daresay we’d find yourself considering the Avalon Restricted cabin – providing three shades of premium, real leather-based – is nicer.
Having not too long ago develop into a decide for the World Automotive of the Yr Awards, I stay up for getting the solutions and evaluating the Crown to each the Avalon it replaces and the competitors. To this point, with out having pushed it, I don’t see the Crown because the mannequin to flee the hex on this mashup class, feeling much less RAV4 and extra Venza: The Sequel. However who is aware of; I may need stated the identical concerning the platypus and batfish if I had been a biologist, and we see how that turned out.
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