Possible Toyota Crown Crossover Spotted in Japanese Patent Images
The Crown is a full-size sedan sold in Asia, but now it might make its way to the U.S. in lifted crossover form.
The Toyota Crown is a large luxury sedan sold only in Asian markets, not exported to the United States on account of the Lexus brand's existence on our side of the Pacific. It's a staple of Japanese life, but now It seems like Toyota has decided to mix it up a bit. In Japanese patent images, first reported by Motor1, what seems to be the rumored high-riding crossover version of the vehicle, possibly headed to the U.S., has been previewed from a variety of angles.
We don't know for sure if this is a Crown crossover, another Mirai, or something different, but it seems likely as a report from Reuters indicates such a vehicle is on the way and we haven't seen this exterior before. It could very well be something else, but judging by the context we can be relatively confident we're looking at a Crown here.
The engine/drive system that might find itself underpinning this car is a mystery. The vehicle seen in the images has no tailpipes, although that doesn't mean they aren't hidden. Toyota has a wide range of electric, hybrid, fuel-cell, or conventional gas-powered drivetrains it could choose from, although seeing as this vehicle could bear the Crown name, a more than adequate amount of power and refinement could be expected.
Toyota has also recently patented a long, low sedan with an electric drivetrain, although that document was not a design patent. Nevertheless, it might just be an electric version of Toyota's range-topping Century sedan, which is also currently a Japan-only vehicle. Whether or not the Japanese automaker would turn its flagship V12-powered sedan into an EV is a big mystery, but it's interesting nonetheless.
Toyota has not formally announced the existence of the Crown crossover. Any information pertaining to its reveal date, price, or more is unknown.
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