TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corporation’s Crown luxury sedan may be the Japanese carmaker’s 15th iteration, it is also the company’s first connected car.
The Crown is now available in Japan in a myriad of variants – try 18, with prices starting from 4.6mil Yen (RM170,000) to just under 7.2mil Yen (RM265,000).
There are three engine options, starting with a 2.0-litre (1,998cc) 8AR-FTS turbocharged engine that provides 245PS from 5,200 to 5,800rpm and 350Nm of torque from 1,650 to 4,400rpm. An eight-speed super-electric controlled transmission manages power delivery to the rear wheels.
The company says that it has enhanced the engine’s output by increasing the the intake and exhaust port efficiency to create better response from a lower rpm, while maintaining high torque throughout the rev-range.
The 2.5-litre (2,487cc) A25A-FXS Dynamic Force engine (with THS II and reduction gear) provides 184PS at 6,000rpm and 221Nm of torque from 3,800 to 5,400rpm.
This is supplemented by a 143PS /300Nm electric motor with a Nickel-metal hydride battery to bring its total system output to 226PS and can be had in either rear or all-wheel drive variants.
The range-topping 3.5-litre (3,456cc) 8GR-FXS V6 engine punches out 299PS at 6,600rpm and 356Nm of torque at 5,100rpm.
A Lithium-ion battery supplies power to a 180PS / 300Nm electric motor that ups the combined system output to 359PS and is managed by a multi-stage hybrid transmission for the rear wheels.
The transmission is a mechanism that employs a hybrid system combined with stepped gears to control the output of both the V6 engine and the drive motor that provides a 10-speed ‘virtual’ shift points.
Thew Crown’s new looks include a proportional low slung nose and a profile that the company describes as sleek and elegant – flowing smoothly from the roof to the trunk while featuring six side windows.
Depending on variant, the Crown has been equipped with LED sequential turn signals (front and rear), front mesh grille, front bottom trim, side skirts, 18-inch aluminium wheels, quad-exhaust tips, a rear spoiler and black door frames.
Inside, the cockpit sports a new dual-display that incorporates an 8.0-inch display positioned farther back for better ease of viewing while driving and a 7.0-inch display installed closer to the driver for better ease of operation, while the the top surface of the instrument panel has been positioned lower.
Rear passenger leg space has been expanded with an optimised seating shape to reduce fatigue during long-distance drives, while wood panels provide some accent as well as LED door lighting and a second row air conditioning system for the cabin.
Also, the new Crown’s powertrain has been positioned lower for a low centre-of-gravity, while the aluminium hood fenders help to optimise weight-distribution between the front and rear axles, which in turn helps in dealing with inertia.
A front high-mounted multi-link suspension and rear multi-link suspension along with a more rigid steering column, aluminium-die-cast front suspension tower and use of significantly greater amounts of structural adhesive has further enhanced body rigidity for better ride and handling.
In addition to the optimised vehicle body frame structure and optimum arrangement of soundproofing materials, active noise control was adopted. Sound emitted from the speakers utilises phase inversion to enable noise cancellation and enhance the cabin’s silence.
For safety, the Crown has been fitted with a second-generation preventive safety package – Toyota Safety Sense, for all model variants and includes a pre-collision safety system that detects pedestrians (day and night) and bikes (day) to support collision prevention and mitigate damage.
Also included is a Dynamic Radar Cruise Control with full-speed range that supports driving behind the car in front, Advanced driving assistance technology, Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) to ensure cars remain centred in the lane during use of Radar Cruise Control.
There’s also Automatic High Beam (AHB) which changes between high and low beam automatically, Adaptive High Beam System (AHS) that irradiates high beams without blinding preceding or oncoming cars, Road Sign Assist (RSA) that displays road signs recognised by the camera on the display and Parking support brakes (stationary objects, vehicles approaching from the rear, pedestrians in the rear).
A low-speed braking support system has also been added in the form of Intelligent Clearance Sonar and Rear Cross Traffic Auto Brake, making the Crown the first Toyota vehicle to be mounted with a rear pedestrian support brake that detects pedestrians using a rear camera, and in the case of a possible collision, helps to minimise damage by activating alerts and brake control.
The car has been tested at Germany’s infamous Nürburgring circuit, which is regarded as the world’s most challenging race track.
Keyword: New Toyota Crown rolls out for Japan