The 2027 Toyota Crown.ToyotaToyota executives more and more have been willing to blur the lines between their classic Lexus luxury brand and the mainstream Toyota line, most notably in the internecine competition at the high-end SUV market.But Toyota Crown is a unique model in the Toyota lineup in that it has a tall, SUV-like stance but most decidedly is a sedan with a bold design that some have compared with an anti-Corolla. And inside, Toyota has configured Crown to compete with luxury mid-size contemporaries – like the Lexus ES – with sleek design and premium materials that provide a firm step up from the already lofty Toyota standard. It's plenty spacious for two, three or even four people.Also, Toyota has taken a straightforward approach to controls that other automakers lack, which confuses drivers or requires a long tutorial. Buttons. knobs and labeling are easy or logical, and there's limited but effective backlighting. With prices starting at under $43,000, on up through $56,000 in four versions, Crown gets some favorable comparisons with the best in luxury mid-size models including Genesis G80 and Audi A6, as well as the ES.It's the highest version of Crown, the Platinum, that puts it in closest comparison with these hoped-for rivals: Platinum has the powerful Hybrid Max powertrain exclusively, and a higher level of equipment generally. Hybrid Max pairs a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors for a combined 340 horsepower.All four Crown models have a hybrid powertrain, with the lower three versions running on a 236-horsepower system that uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and three electric motors.All-wheel-drive is standard across the Crown line, a necessity for a model which provides top-line Toyota drivability as one of its raisons d'être. In addition, Toyota has tuned Crown's suspension to further that branded sense of relaxation and give it the feel of a crossover.Toyota introduced the new Crown in 2022, returning the nameplate to its lineup after a half-century. The new one looks, well, of course, nothing like the original Crown. But neither does it look like it "fits" into the Toyota family, either, featuring an interesting rear three-quarter view. The back half of the model is somewhere between sharp and round.The rear end is another example of Crown's persona: a model that's trying to square the circle by giving Toyota a worthy (relatively) new sedan entry in a sedan market that remains a substantial part of the industry.
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