All-New Toyota Crown Officially Announced To Debut July 15

The oldest Toyota nameplate among passenger cars and the company’s first model exported to the United States will shift to 16^th generation almost 70 years since the original car went on sale. It would eschew the traditional sedan body styling for something along the lines of a high-riding fastback. Even the Japanese automaker is rhetorically asking on a dedicated website for the new Crown whether it’s a sedan or an SUV.

It is believed the revamped model will come to the United States in the summer of 2023, possibly in 2024MY. Meanwhile, the world premiere is set for July 15. It should be noted that Toyota has expanded the Crown lineup by introducing the nameplate in China. This is not used for specific models, but rather for high-end versions of the Highlander SUV and Vellfire minivan.

The Crown has traditionally been Toyota’s flagship car in Japan if we exclude the low-volume Century which holds special status in the lineup and is only sold to VIPs. Patent images have shown the next-generation car will not look like the previous model, which hasn’t been that popular since sedans fell out of favor in the Land of the Rising Sun.

If the latest report (related to the patent image) To be sure, the new model will be quite large, measuring 4,930 mm (194 inches) long, 1,840 mm (72.4 inches) wide and 1,540 mm (60.6 inches) high. The wheelbase is said to be 2,850 mm (112.2 in) while the platform could be that of the Toyota TNGA-K. Two- and four-wheel drive configurations are planned, along with a hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

The US-bound sedan/SUV is set to be the company’s most expensive model in the lineup as it looks set to cost around $50,000 before options. Sources familiar with the matter say a pure electric derivative is planned for later in the product’s lifecycle, but it’s unclear if the EV will be coming to North America.

Back in April, Reuters wrote about how Toyota intends to update the Crown sedan and continue selling it in the domestic market alongside this new model, with both to be produced in Japan.