Toyota fans have a lot to look forward to this year with the imminent arrival of several new models such as a special-edition Fortuner, a new entry-level hatchback, a replacement to the Urban Cruiser, and next-generation Lexus vehicles.
Arguably the most intriguing option that Toyota is bringing to the forefront this year, however, is the Crown – a nameplate that is among the brand’s oldest, yet has never before made an appearance on the tip of Africa.
What you need to know about the Crown
There are still a number of important details that we do not know about the South African-bound Toyota Crown, such as its price point, but the carmaker has been slowly providing a drip feed of information to keep us on the edge of our seats.
One of the most important specifications we do know is that the car, which will be exclusively offered in crossover guise, will ship with a 2.5-litre parallel hybrid drivetrain with an output in the neighbourghood of 170kW and a fuel consumption of under 5.0l/100km.
Another feature that has been confirmed is an Advanced Drive Programme which will include blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane assist, and road sign recognition.
This is in addition to a separate Advanced Park assist, which allows for autonomous parallel and reverse parking.
While the rest of the car’s specs have yet to be revealed, a look at the Japanese brochure suggests that South Africans will also be able to look forward to things like 360-degree parking sensors, synthetic leather upholstery, engine stop-start, keyless start and entry, dual-zone air conditioning, six speakers, a heads-up display, electric seats, and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen.
A segment shaker?
To get a sense of where the Crown will fit in Toyota’s local catalogue, we can look at what it costs overseas.
In Japan, the Crown retails from 4,350,000 Yen to 6,500,000 Yen – which directly converts to R590,000 to R884,000 at the current exchange rate.
This is just an indication, however, as the Crown is all but certain to cost more than this when it lands in the country owing to import costs and tariffs.
What this price does suggest is that the Crown will become a mid-market entry in South Africa, which makes sense given the rest of the brand’s current line-up.
Toyota already has a few new-energy vehicles on the market including the highly-popular Corolla Cross and Rav4, where the cheapest hybrids start at R442,800 and R698,700, respectively.
Considering the Crown is a luxury-focused nameplate, it’s plausible that it will slot above the Rav4 and compete in the premium crossover segment.
Hybrids are currently slim pickings in this category and the Toyota will therefore have few rivals, the biggest culprits being the likes of the Alfa Romeo Tonale, Jaguar E-Pace, and its half-sibling the Lexus UX.
Keyword: What you need to know about the new Toyota Crown coming out this year