2023 Toyota Crown crossover leaked in patent images

The Toyota Crown has long been a traditional three-box sedan. Now, it is taking a quick reverse turn.

Leaked patent image shared by Japanese store Creative Trends revealed another decisive prestige model for Toyota.

The quirky fastback has a similar look to the Citroen C5 X and the Chinese market Ford EvosIt doesn’t look like a traditional SUV but looks taller than a regular hatchback or wagon and has some black plastic cladding.

There are what appear to be full-width light bars at the front and rear, and it bears some resemblance to two of the bZ electric concepts. revealed by Toyota late last year.

The production model is rumored to be revealed on July 15.

The Crown crossover is said to be 4930mm long, 1840mm wide, 1540mm high on a 2850mm wheelbase.

That makes it 20mm longer, 40mm wider and 85mm taller than the current car, despite the 70mm shorter wheelbase.

The Crown crossover is said to use the TNGA-K front-wheel drive/all-wheel drive architecture, used by the SUVs. Toyota Kluger and coming soon Lexus RXinstead of the current vehicle’s platform, a narrower version of the rear-wheel drive/all-wheel drive TNGA-L platform is used by Lexus LS.

BestCarWeb reports that the Crown crossover will use the upcoming Lexus RX500h F Sport High Performance’s 2.4-liter turbocharged hybrid all-wheel drive system, as well as Toyota’s 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain with all-wheel drive. eFour full-time gear.

The leaked images according to a report from Reuters In April, Toyota will launch the Crown SUV in markets such as China, Japan and North America.

It is said to be offered with hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric powertrains, with hybrid sales to begin in 2023 and the electric model to launch in 2024.

Whether an Australian launch is on the list remains unclear, although Toyota trademarked the Crown locally last year.

It is not yet clear whether an updated version of the current rear-wheel drive Crown sedan will still be available, as has been previously rumored.

Crown sales are currently declining in Japan. The current 15th generation model was launched in 2018, with a much sleeker, sportier look than before.

Although Toyota had set a monthly sales target of 4500 units, it sold only 36,125 Crown units in Japan in 2019 and by last year the number had dropped further to just 21,000.

It may be a sedan on the global market that changes from this body style, but the Crown remains an important vehicle for the Toyota brand.

Toyota launched the first generation of Crown in 1955 and it was the first passenger car developed and built entirely in Japan, and three years later became the first Toyota to be exported to the US in 1958. .

Although its first US operation was quickly met with failure, Toyota improved the car and subsequent generations were offered in the US until 1973.

With the end of seventh generation production in 1987, the Crown largely disappeared from Europe and was discontinued locally.

The 12th to 14th generations were made in China, but today it is really a vehicle for the Japanese market only. It’s just underneath the exclusive Century.

In China, Toyota used the Crown nameplate in a different way.

Local joint venture FAW Toyota ended production of the 14th-generation Crown in China in 2020, and it subsequently regained the Crown name as a luxury sub-brand.

The Kluger crossover and Vellfire people-mover have received the Crown treatment, with plenty of aesthetic tweaks inside and out and a high level of equipment.

While the future of the Crown sedan is in doubt, the Crown nameplate will outlast any Japanese rival’s nameplates have set out to beat it.

Mazda discontinued the Sentia (929) in 2000, Mitsubishi discontinued the Infiniti Q70-based Prodia and Dignity in 2016, Honda Legend production ended last year, and Nissan will end production of the Fuga and Cima sedans (or aka Infiniti Q70) this year.

Despite sky-high sales, Crown still outsells rival Nissans.