2025 Toyota Crown Signia Takes Toyota’s Flagship Into the SUV Realm
It’s the first-ever SUV to wear the premium Crown nameplate.
Toyota's iconic "Crown" nameplate has been around for more than 70 years, but it's never been worn by an SUV until now. The 2025 Toyota Crown Signia marks a first, then, and it's coming to the United States to sit alongside its sedan sibling. Like the standard Crown (and the new Camry), the Crown Signia will be sold exclusively as a hybrid.
Ironically, the Crown Signia looks more like Toyota's new Prius than the sedan that shares its name, thanks to its squinty wraparound headlights and body-colored grille. The latter is something Toyota is implementing on many of its new models, including several Lexus vehicles. While the front end is very Prius-like, the rest is simple, understated, and mostly handsome—if a bit generic—with smooth lines and a simple horizontal LED light bar. However, distinguishing the Crown Signia from its sedan counterpart is probably wise, considering the public's polarizing response about the existing model's funky, often two-tone looks.
The new Crown Signia is still built on the same TNGA-K platform that underpins the regular Crown. Despite being a crossover (funnily enough, our more sedan-like Crown actually goes by "Crown Crossover" in Japan), they seem to have similar ride heights. That's because the four-door version rides unusually tall, to make getting in and out just a bit more comfortable.
Given that the two cars share the same platform, it isn't surprising that they share a similar powertrain as well. Powering the Signia is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motor generators, along with an electric motor at the rear axle, to help it make a combined 243 horsepower. No word yet whether the other Crown's upgrade Hybrid Max setup, with its 340 hp, will be made available for the SUV.
Since the engine powers the front wheels and the electric motor powers the rear ones, the Crown Signia also comes standard with all-wheel drive. With a towing capacity of 2,700 pounds, don't expect to do any boat-hauling, as that isn't really what this SUV was built for. Instead, it's supposed to be a quiet, comfortable everyday driver.
Providing that comfort is one of Toyota's most stylish cabins yet, with a sleek layered dashboard design, a dual-screen infotainment/gauge cluster setup, and thickly bolstered seats. Leather isn't standard, which might seem odd in a Crown, but rather available, as are a panoramic sunroof and an 11-speaker JBL surround sound system. Since tech is what customers in this segment really want, the Crown Signia packs Toyota's now-ubiquitous 12.3-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system (TAMM) as standard, along with a 12.3-inch digital gauge screen. Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work wirelessly, and both can employ their respective digital assistants, Siri and Google Assistant. A 360-degree camera system is optional, but only on the Limited trim and higher, and it comes with a Curb View that works at low speeds and in reverse.
In Japan, the Toyota Crown name is iconic, so longtime fans might be saddened to see it slapped onto a crossover. From a sales perspective, though, it's smart, especially in the SUV-happy United States. With less polarizing looks than the sedan and a more popular body style, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Crown Signia leapfrog the high-riding four-door on Toyota's sales sheet in no time.
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