Is the 2023 Toyota Crown an SUV? Sort Of, But Not Really
The new 2023 Toyota Crown is hard to pin down at first glance. Is it a crossover SUV? Is it a sedan? In truth, the Toyota Crown uses elements of both SUVs and sedans to create a package that’s a bit puzzling.
The Toyota Crown is a full-size sedan with SUV-ish dimensions
The 2023 Toyota Crown is, in fact, a large sedan.
Still, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a crossover SUV at first. It has a taller profile and rides higher than its predecessor, the Toyota Avalon. Plus, the Crown’s upright grille brings to mind SUVs like the Highlander or RAV4.
Look more closely, however, and you’ll see that the Toyota Crown has all the trademarks of a traditional SUV: seating for five passengers, a three-box design, and a conventional rear trunk.
The numbers confirm it, too. Although the Crown appears to ride high like an SUV, it only has a half-inch more ground clearance than the outgoing Toyota Avalon. According to Car and Driver, it only has 5.8 inches of ground clearance.
The Crown’s true advantage is in its cabin space. Car and Driver says its roofline is 3.7 inches higher than the Toyota Camry’s. Passengers ought to expect excellent headroom for a sedan. Surprisingly, the Crown still falls short of the outgoing Avalon in total passenger volume. Car and Driver reports 100 cubic feet of passenger volume for the 2023 Crown and 102.2 cubic feet for the Avalon.
Hybrid performance comes standard
Aside from SUV looks, the new 2023 Toyota Crown offers the benefits of standard hybrid performance.
According to Car and Driver, the Crown gets Toyota’s familiar hybrid powertrain with a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle engine as its base unit. This standard powertrain yields over 40 mpg combined – an impressive figure for a larger sedan.
The big news, however, is the available Hybrid Max powertrain. With this setup, the 2023 Crown makes a robust 340 horsepower that thrusts the sedan from zero to 60 mph in less than six seconds. It’s quite the muscular powertrain for a sedan centered around comfort and leisure.
How much is the Toyota Crown in the U.S.?
The 2023 Toyota Crown starts at $41,045 in the U.S. market.
According to Car and Driver, the sedan has three trim levels.
- Toyota Crown XLE: $41,045
- Toyota Crown Limited: $46,645
- Toyota Crown Platinum: $53,445
The Toyota Crown attempts to preserve the sedan by making it more like the dominant SUVs and crossovers. It may have a slightly higher ride height and a taller profile. While it may emulate SUVs, the Crown is still a sedan through and through.
