How to buy the new Toyota Crown that is currently sold out in South Africa

The 2023 allocation of the all-new Toyota Crown is completely sold out in South Africa, but those who don’t want to wait until the next shipment arrives in 2024 can head to used-car marketplace AutoTrader, where two examples of the hybrid crossover are currently available.

Both units are listed by certified Toyota dealers, one a used model with 10,500km on the clock going for R899,990, and the other a demo with a 3,500km odometer reading for R929,000.

As new, the Crown goes for R918,900, but it is currently unavailable to the public. The automaker has confirmed that the limited quantities it was able to secure for this year have long since found owners and that the next batch will only make landfall in 2024.

It did not reveal how many units of the Crown were earmarked for South Africa in 2023, however.

Looking at Toyota’s sales statistics, the Crown was first listed on Naamsa’s new-vehicle sales report all the way back in April and has made a consistent appearance in these monthly reports ever since.

Its transactions looked as follows:

• April – 2 units
• May – 1 unit
• June – 1 unit
• July – 2 units
• August – 2 units
• September – 1 unit
• October – 1 unit

Tallying up all the Crowns that have been marked as “sold” in the last seven months we arrive at a total number of 10 vehicles, with November and December’s reports likely to add between two to four more.

This makes the crossover one of the rarest Toyotas you can get your mitts on in the country, if you are lucky enough to be one of the handpicked few that can buy it.

While the Crown is expected to be more readily available come 2024, Toyota has indicated that it still won’t be as easy to come by as the other vehicles in its portfolio in light of high global demand and limited supply.

Toyota Crowns on AutoTrader

Crown specifications

The Crown’s foundation consists of a 2.5-litre petrol engine working in conjunction with an electric motor on each axle, producing a combined 176kW with fuel economy rated at a low 4.4l/100km and top speed pegged at 180km/h.

Power is directed to all four wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT), and it offers a pure-electric drive mode as well as Eco, Sport, and Normal settings.

Standard fitments on the crossover comprise electric and heated leather seats, climate control, a digital instrument cluster, a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, keyless entry and start, a sunroof, and 19-inch alloy wheels.

In addition, it comes with automatic LED lights with high-beam assist, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, a 360-degree camera system, front and rear parking sensors, and seven airbags.

Included in the price of the new Crown are a 3-year/100,000km vehicle warranty, an 8-year/195,000km battery warranty, and a 6-services/90,000km service plan.

Toyota Crown