Toyota Crown: a very modern sedan that’s also a bit of a throwback

I watched them from afar. As they strolled up to the Toyota Crown, they stopped. They pointed. They chatted. They smiled. Like they were looking at some kind of exotic.

Which, I guess, they kind of were. Toyota sold a few more than 12,000 Crowns last year, although that’s down from nearly 20,000 the year before. The brand sold more than 300,000 Camrys during 2025 and nearly 250,000 Corollas.

The Crown badge only recently returned to our shores. It graced the original Toyotas sold here back in 1958 and left for an extended hiatus in 1972.

Back home in Japan, though, the Crown badge has remained a big deal. It’s the nameplate reserved for Toyota’s premium sedans–the latest technology, the latest comforts and conveniences.

Toyota released a 16th–yes, 16th–generation Crown in 2022. And with that, Toyota brought the nameplate back to the U.S. after a 50-year absence. It’s still a four-door sedan, but it shares some mechanical DNA with the brand’s SUVs, specifically our Highlander.

“Why a sedan?” you ask. “Don’t Toyota dealerships still offer the Camry?” Yes, but the Crown is different: bigger, faster, more luxurious.

Many of us grew up in the back seat of a sedan. Today, you can’t even buy one from Ford or Chevy.

This Toyota, perhaps, is a bit of a throwback model. It’s big. It’s roomy. It’s not an executive sedan but more like an old-school family car. But it’s thoroughly modern.

It drives a bit big, too. Not that it’s clumsy or challenging to park, but that its SUV roots come through. You just sit a little higher. You feel the presence. The standard wheels are 19s, but 21s come on the two upper-level models. How about this: It drives like an SUV but looks like a sedan.

Why would you want that? In a market crammed full of SUVs of every manner and type, the Crown offers a different experience. It kind of reminds me of the old Subaru Legacy Sport Utility Sedan.

And as the sales numbers show, the Crown isn’t for everyone. The price of our tester–a little more than $57,000 out the door–also raises the barrier to entry.

Like the Camry, the Crown is a hybrid. Toyota offers two different setups, though. Both feature all-wheel drive.

The Crown’s base engine–found in the XLE, Limited and Nightshade trims–is a 2.5-liter inline-four that makes 184 horsepower. A pair of electric motors boosts that number to 236 horsepower. This engine is then paired with an electronically controlled CVT.

The Crown Platinum, the one we drove, gets the Hybrid Max system. It starts with a turbocharged, 2.4-liter gas engine that, Toyota explains, is tuned to produce max torque between 2000 and 3000 rpm.

In addition to a front electric motor, the Hybrid Max setup also features a rear wheel eAxle equipped with a high-output, water-cooled motor. This setup makes a max of 340 horsepower along with 400.4 lb.-ft. of combined torque, and it’s packaged with a six-speed automatic. Toyota lists a zero-to-60 time of 5.7 seconds.

So, what do we have here? In keeping with the Crown’s MO, this is a larger, very comfortable sedan showcasing the brand’s latest technology. It just might not be for everyone.

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