Toyota Crown Sport Hybrid SUV Launched In Japan With A $40k Price Tag

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The Toyota Crown Sport was launched in the Japanese market, as a member of an expanded range of electrified Crown-badged models. The SUV mirrors the sporty design of the previewing concept from last year and comes with self-charging hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain options.

Many will point out the similarities between the Crown Sport with the Ferrari Purosangue in terms of their low hatchback-style silhouettes and the slim LED headlights hugging the nose. Toyota’s hammerhead face is a common feature among the Crown series, also adopted by the latest Prius and the bZ range of EVs. The profile of the Crown Sport is characterized by the sculpted bodywork and the toned-up rear fenders, highlighting the 21-inch alloy wheels. The rear end is equally sporty with horizontally arranged LED taillights, a narrow and heavily inclined windscreen, plus vertical outlets on the rear bumper.

More: 2024 Toyota Crown Sedan FCEV Makes Its Public Debut In Japan

The Toyota Crown Sport measures 4,720 mm (185.8 inches) long, 1,880 mm (74 inches) wide, and 1,565 mm (61.6 inches) tall. This makes it 260 mm (10.2 inches) shorter, 40 mm (1.5 inches) wider, and 25 mm (1 inch) taller than the Crown Crossover.

The SUV is available in 6 exterior shades and 5 bi-tone options. Those can be combined with the new Sand Brown and Black option for the interior. The dashboard looks familiar, adopting a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen and a very similar – if not identical – dashboard to the Crown Crossover. Toyota made use of high-quality materials, in line with its strategy for the Crown series.

Designers put a lot of emphasis on making ingress and egress as easy as possible, something that sounds really helpful for Japan‘s aging population. This was made possible by the high hip point in combination with the height of rocker panels and the shape of the rear door trim set to aid leg movement. Last but not least, the Crown Sport is the first Toyota with a “sound-regulating ceiling” reflecting sounds within the cabin to assist conversations between occupants. The equipment also includes the latest version of the Toyota Safety Sense ADAS suite with features like the Proactive Driving Assist and the Toyota Teammate Advanced Drive for assisted driving in traffic congestion.

The Toyota Crown Sport will be available with two powertrain options. The self-charging hybrid is the 2.5-liter E-Four Parallel Hybrid System from the Crown Crossover producing a combined 231 hp (172 kW / 234 PS) that is transmitted to all four wheels via an electric 4WD system. As for the plug-in hybrid, Toyota didn’t give us the specs but said it will offer an extended EV range thanks to a new “large-capacity lithium-ion battery” that won’t compromise cabin space.

The TNGA underpinnings of the Crown Sport have been tuned for an “enjoyable driving experience”, promoting the communication between the driver and the vehicle. For a more agile character, the SUV comes equipped with the Dynamic Rear Steering (DRS) system.

The Toyota Crown Sport will be produced at the Tsutsumi Plant in Japan, with a planned output of 700 sales per month. At launch, there is a single available Hybrid Sport Z grade, priced at ¥5,900,000 ($39,620). The automaker is already accepting orders in Japan with the first deliveries of the hybrid expected in November and the plug-in hybrid set to follow in December. The lineup will expand further with the Crown Sedan that will debut in November and the Crown Estate (large SUV) later in 2024, joining the already available Crown Crossover.