Making good on its promise to show an SUV variant of its new Crown sedan, Toyota introduced the Crown Signia yesterday at an event in Los Angeles.
Described as ‘the second entry’ in the Crown lineup (leaving the door wide open for future admissions), the Signia is a hybrid-powered machine with standard all-wheel drive and more than a minor familial resemblance to other members of its clan. Powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasser with a brace of electric motor generators, this mill delivers a system net 243 horsepower and is expected to return 36 MPG in combined city/highway driving conditions. All-wheel drive is delivered via a dedicated rear electric motor on this TNGA-K platform, binning the need for a bulky mechanical solution.
A decision which, of course, helps interior accommodations. The space will look intimately familiar to anyone who’s been in a Toyota product in the last couple of years, featuring impressive digital real estate and the type of logical – if not pulse-raising – ergonomics which have long been a hallmark of this brand. The XLE trim makes do with a fabric/leatherette while the Limited gets gen-u-wine peeled cows with double stitching. Bronze finished trim and available peanut-butter hues keep up with the Joneses in terms of appearance.
Toyota has chosen to make the fixed-glass panoramic roof an option, which will surely delight those of us with long torsos. A raft of USB ports and a wireless charger live ahead of the petite gear selector, while two 12.3-inch screens serve as a gauge cluster and infotainment touchscreen. Software for the latter has improved by leaps and bounds in the last couple of years, it must be said. Limited trims get JBL sound and 11 speakers. Toyota makes a lot of noise about its Safety Sense suite of driving helpers, now in its 3.0 variant with a proactive driving assist intended to help prevent mowing down pedestrians or cyclists.
So what’s the target market for this thing? We’ll attempt to put that question to Toyota spox when we’ve boots on the ground tomorrow at the L.A. Auto Show, but there’s an argument that the Crown Signia’s efficient powertrain and plush cabin could make it the darling of tony companies providing car hire services in addition to folks (Toyota loyalists and conquest customers alike) seeking a near-luxury crossover whose running costs won’t break the bank.
The 2025 Toyota Crown Signia is expected to arrive at Toyota dealerships in the summer of next year.
[Images: Toyota]
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