News / 15 July 2022 / Albert du Toit

Toyota Crown hybrid crossover coming to South Africa – All the details

Toyota has revealed four new models with varying body styles under the longstanding Crown nameplate.

Depending on the market, the Crown can now be had in crossover, estate, sedan, and “Sport” shapes – the latter of which is a blend between a sedan and SUV.

Rather unsurprisingly, South Africa is getting the crossover variant, “forming part of Toyota South Africa Motors’ continued New Energy Vehicle (NEV) product rollout,” said the manufacturer.

Crown for a new era

The new Crown crossover is built on Toyota’s TNGA Global platform offering a lightweight, balanced, and rigid body.

Featuring a hip point that is higher than earlier sedans, achieved through the use of larger-diameter wheels, the new Crown makes getting in and out much easier than before, while also offering more generous head and shoulder room.

The headlights and taillights connected in a single straight line continue to emphasise the dynamic design that Toyota was going for in its forward-looking hybrids, and the flanks “express sophistication” through the use of curved surfaces rather than prominent character lines.

The new-age styling carries over to the interior, where horizontally-integrated displays and equipment take centre stage resulting in a “functional layout that can be operated intuitively from any seat,” said Toyota.

This is complemented by high-quality “warm steel” decorations, an “invitingly shaped and comfortable shift knob”, and seats that provide a sense of security.

As is customary for next-generation vehicles, a suite of advanced assistance features will also be on-board comprising the Toyota Safety Sense and all-new Toyota Teammate packages.

Safety Sense encompasses the features that are already well known, such as blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist, whereas Teammate takes it a step further.

This option, fitted as standard to the Crown Crossover we’ll see in South Africa, brings “Advanced Drive” traffic congestion assistance, “Advanced Park” autonomous parking capabilities, as well as “other safety and convenient advanced functions,” said Toyota.

Parallel hybrid

The Toyota Crown that will be sold locally is driven by a 2.5-litre, parallel hybrid system with a newly-developed bi-polar nickel-hydrogen battery.

The configuration achieves “class-leading fuel economy and quietness and further advances the high-quality and smooth driving performance distinctive of the Crown,” said the Japanese carmaker.

A 2.4-litre, turbo-hybrid will also be available in overseas regions for buyers looking for a torquey drive.

Struts in the front and a multi-link suspension in the rear then “allows for solid straight-line stability characteristic [in] the Crown, plus agility, and a ‘flat feeling’ that does not blur the line of sight.”

Unfortunately, though, what the Crown line-up is truly capable of in the performance department will only be revealed when these models start landing in dealer showrooms throughout next year.

South African availability

The new Toyota Crown will make its South African debut in the first quarter of 2023 in crossover guise.

Depending on the market, the Crown range will also be offered via the “Kinto” car subscription service.

“When ordered through Kinto, automobile insurance, periodic maintenance, and various other vehicle expenses are included in the monthly payments. Customers, corporations, and individuals can sign up either online or at a dealer to enjoy easy access,” said Toyota.

This service is not yet available in South Africa, however, and the automaker’s domestic subsidiary has yet to confirm whether it will be launched here.