Toyota Motor Corporation introduced a rising new player slotting into its flagship status position during the 2023 model year here in the States. The aptly name Crown eventually replaced the long-running Avalon sedan which set its sights on retirement at the close of the 2022 model year. Avalon served Toyota well with its close-to-luxury status and close-to-full-size foot print (or tire print within this context).
Japan's largest automaker (and the world's largest automaker for the past couple of years) decided to shake up the lineup with a direction in-tune with the industry's sustainability pivot. Crown stands apart as much for its styling as well as what awaits under the hood.
Crown measures about a half-inch longer than the retired Avalon, but four-inches longer than the popular mid-size Camry sedan. While Toyota designed Crown with a sedan-like body structure, the tail end builds in a crafty liftgate, creating a hybrid-type visual with the looks of a traditional sedan but functionality of a liftback.
The hybrid designation also best describes under hood motivation. All Crowns include Midwest-friendly all-wheel drive and roll via a self-charging gas-electric hybrid powertrain never in need of a wall socket recharge. Often times this self-charging gas-electric technology defines as Hybrid Electric Vehicle, or HEV. Toyota popularized this widely appreciated fuel-extending alternative with the Prius introduction nearly a quarter century ago. Prius ranks as the best-selling gas-electric hybrid namesake worldwide.
Crown sales in the 2024 calendar year reached 19,648, a three percent bump up from its first year figure of 19,063.
Building on the recent success of Crown, Toyota changes up and adds to its winning formula for 2025 with a new body style visually more in concert with a five-door crossover while retaining a sleek edginess. Toyota's new-for-2025 Crown Signia offers two trim levels (XLE, Limited) with standard electronic, on-demand all-wheel drive. This Crown Signia replaces slightly smaller the five-door Toyota Venza, a functional, but under-loved Toyota nameplate from 2008 to 2024 (available solely as a gas-electric from 2021 through 2024 model years).
Crown Signa's hybrid electric powertrain combines a 2.5-liter, naturally-aspirated internal combustion engine with two permanent magnetic synchronous motor/generators. One 134-kilowatt motor mounts upfront while a 40-kw motor anchors the rear. Total combined system horsepower of this Toyota Hybrid System (THS) layout reaches 240. Electricity powering the motors stores within a Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) direct current (DC) battery.
The Ni-MH battery, generating a more-than-ample 230 volts, is an interesting choice. While a majority of all-electric EV's choose lighter weight lithium-ion battery packs, Toyota's done just fine with Ni-MH technology used primarily within early editions of the Prius. For those hearty souls living in the upper Midwest home, Ni-MW batteries maintain longer charges during long cold snaps compared to lithium-ion packs. Although Ni-MH batteries add additional weight, HEVs don't need as much kilowatt hour storage as pure EVs require (thus, smaller-sized DC battery packs), so any extra weight gain brings forth nominal downsides. The 2025-model-year DC battery reduces in size from generation's past thanks to bipolar chemistry and stows easily under second-row seating never impeding capacity levels of the flat floor cargo area.
The conventional Crown offers a second hybrid-electric powertrain opportunity (Hybrid Max) in its top-grade trim combining a turbocharged, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors reaching total system horsepower of 340.
Both Crown and Crown Signia base upon Toyota's New Global Architecture K (TNGA-K) limiting noise intrusion from entering the cabin while curbing vibration through the floor, steering and body structure. Its unibody, car-like design offers pleasant on-road dynamics while deep wood's off-roading is not recommended despite standard on-demand all-wheel drive.
Not all gas-electric hybrids (HEVs) are created equally and as the automotive universe 'electrifies' to greater degrees, it's important to distinguish the subtilities. Full hybrids, such as Crown and Crown Signia, travel independently in pure electric mode for short distances at low speeds with no assistance from the internal combustion engine. This design sometimes refers to FHEV with the F representing 'Full'. Full hybrids offer greater fuel economy numbers. Crown Signia offers an 'EV' button for selecting EV only mode welcoming pure electric travel for short jaunts.
Lower priced mild gas-electric hybrids (MHEVs), such as the propulsion motivating Toyota's recently relaunched Land Cruiser, places a small assist-like electric motor/generator between the engine and transmission not directly powering vehicle. It's easy to lump the two together and often times manufacturers neglect to specify the distinction offering just the 'hybrid' designation. With a full hybrid, consumers enjoy advanced and enhanced electric power delivery.
The 14.5-gallon tank recommends regular, 87-octane fuel and Crown Signia delivers a respectable 39 miles per gallon city and 37 miles per gallon highway. On the road this translates to 551 of combined city/highway travel soothing any and all 'range anxiety' fears. 'Range Anxiety,' a relatively new termed coined in the all-electric EV community, reflects the lack of available/operational public charging stations Crown and Crown Signia's HEV underpinning never require a plug-in, instead self-charging through the process of regenerative braking.
Regenerative braking (built into mild hybrids, full hybrids, plug-in electric hybrids (PHEVs) and EVs) seamlessly captures and repurpose kinetic energy created during the braking process and stores that energy back into the large direct current battery pack. It's the reason HEVs never need a wall socket to supply charged ions and helps boost fuel economy.
The five-seat Crown Signia includes high side belt line creates a visual of a well-planted vehicle. Chrome-like accents surround side windows while the front A pillar positions near a 45-degree angle rather than a vertical-type stature. Narrow, slit-like LED daytime running headlights doubling as amber turn-signal flashers situate between the front hood and the lower, relatively large monochromatic trapezoidal grille's and its body-colored honeycomb fill with a long, rectangular-like bottom air dam opening. To the sides of the trapezoidal nose, an LED projector quad light structure. Strap-like body-colored door openers include a touch-sensor lock/unlock feature.
Pricing starts at $43,590 for XLE and jumps to $47,990 when selecting this week's tester, Limited. Toyota offers an advanced technology package ($1,865) as an option only in the top-trim Limited. The XLE trim arrives well equipped with no factory options helping speed the buying process along.
Limited's advanced technology package includes a number of radar-inspired safety upgrades such as: front/rear parking assist with automatic braking, front cross traffic alert and lane-change assist. Blind-spot monitoring and rear-cross traffic alert come standard in both trims, part of Toyota Safety Sense 3.0's suite of welcome nuances including full-speed dynamic range cruise control automatically speeding and slowing Crown Signia during highway travel based on the distance of the vehicle ahead.
Opportunities in Limited and not available in XLE include automatic leveling headlights, larger 21-inch twin-spoke alloy wheels, fixed glass panoramic roof with power sunshade, rain-sensing front wipes, upgraded 11-speaker JBL sound system, auto-dimming rearview mirror and multi-link rear suspension for a smoother glide. If budgets allow, opt for Limited as the extra $4,500 provides a nice return on investment as does the technology package.
With a $47,990 starting price and $1,865 hit for the technology package, our Limited's bottom line stretched to $51,305 with a $1,450 destination charge.
Our tester's saddle-colored interior-trimmed leather interacting with a secondary black shade and brushed aluminum accents provided an upmarket Lexus-like ambiance inside a mainstream Toyota product. Between leather-trimmed front buckets, several options await when powering portable electronic devices. A deep, vertical-style pocket/holder accommodates wireless Smartphone Qi-compatible charging when pressing against the back and signaling an in-progress green light. Nearby, another vertical dug out powers portable electronics with the aid of nearby USB type C ports (five total throughout the vehicle). Inline beverage holders cradle power drinks of multiple sizes to recharge the human portal with refreshing consequences. Also in the region, the electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (eCVT) shifter with stubby-like grab knob summoning reverse, neutral or drive. When ready to park for the night, a push button marked with a 'P' needs activation. An electric parking brake also is ready nearby.
An eCVT improves fuel economy with minimal upshift/downshift gear hunting felt sometimes within traditional automatics. It's a smoother experience found within hybrids (both full and mild) and Electric Vehicles cleverly combining together an electric motor/generator with the transmission. A traditional CVT found in gas-exclusive vehicles generally relies upon a belt and pulley system.
To the rear of the transmission shifter, a forward/backward electronic tab summoning one of three drive modes Eco, Normal, Sport). Chose Sport to sharpen throttle response for a bit more punch. Each mode selection gently reframes the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. The 12.3-inch digital cluster and similar-sized 12.3-inch multi-function touch screen rising above the center dash reside side-by-side, and include a visual separator eliminating the wide-screen uni-brow combined structure. The fully digital instrument panel sets deeper into the dash helping create two distinct perspectives.
Temperature controls reside below the multi-function screen instead of operating within the touch-sensitive parameter, an easier lift for drivers and preferred method of many automotive evaluators. A row of a dozen up/down push tabs (think piano key design) operate fan speed, direction, temperature and front/back defrost buttons with a small digital window expressing the moves. Dual zone temperature controls arrive standard in both trim levels. Liftback and trunk release push buttons locate on the dashboard to the left of the steering column.
If, by chance, pilots would rather operate HVAC through touch screen commands, that option remains doable. The screen itself includes an easily digestible layout with an iconed column of options along the right side including an animated tutorial visually updating power flow to and from the engine, electric motors and DC battery pack. A single twist knob operates on/off/volume, but no second orb for station selection,
Generous near full-size dimensions welcome three riders in back with heated seats standard in both trims and 60/40 split seatbacks helping to gain access to the cargo area graduating to six-and-a-half storage plain. The power liftgate comes standard in both trims with a hands-free design motivating the door open with a swoosh of a foot.
Crown and Crown Signia, as with just about all Toyota products, qualify for no-cost ToyotaCare, covering normal scheduled maintenance (oil changes, etc.) for two years (or 25,000 miles) at participating Toyota dealers along with 24-hour roadside assistance also covered for two years. Once the privy of luxury brands, more and more mainstream names are adding this perk, a great way to monitor the vehicle's progress during the first couple years of ownership.
At A Glance: 2025 Toyota Crown Signia
Price as tested: $51,305
Engine: 2.5-liter four-cylinder with EV mode
Combined System Horsepower: 240
Wheelbase: 112.2 inches
Overall Length: 194.1 inches
Overall Height: 64.0 inches
Overall Width: 74.0 inches
Fuel Economy: 39 mpg city / 37 mpg highway
Curb weight: 4,210 pounds
Hybrid Battery Warranty: 120 months/150,000 miles
Hybrid System Warranty: 96 months/100,000 miles
Assembly: Aichi, Japan
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