With the Toyota Corolla Cross, we saw the Japanese automaker use an existing nameplate from a compact car to create a subcompact SUV. Now, Toyota is looking to do something similar with the Crown sedan, which is one of Toyota’s oldest models in the brand’s history.
According to a report by Automotive News, Toyota plans to launch an SUV for the North American market that’s based on the Crown sedan that it sells in Japan. The Crown nameplate has been used on sedans for approximately 67 years and is one of the oldest models in Toyota’s lineup. Soon, Toyota will use the Crown name to launch new hybrid, plug-in hybrid, all-electric SUVs, though the outlet claims that only the hybrid is expected to be available in North America.
Auto News, citing three unnamed sources, claims that sales of the hybrid SUV are expected to begin in the summer of 2023, while the all-electric model will go on sale at the beginning of 2024. Toyota also has plans to come out with a redesigned Crown sedan, which we expect to share styling with the sedan.
The current Toyota Crown is a rear-wheel-drive sedan that’s only sold in Japan. Toyota sold the Crown sedan in the U.S. in 1958, but the model was discontinued once the automaker introduced the Corolla and Corona.
The decision to come out with an SUV version of its Crown sedan is further confirmation that automakers are moving away from sedans to focus on high-riding vehicles as consumers continue to purchase SUVs in high numbers. We’re also not that surprised to hear that Toyota is planning to offer the Crown SUV with electrified powertrains. Before the end of last year, Toyota announced that it would invest approximately $35 billion into coming out with a lineup of 30 battery-powered EVs by 2030.
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