Toyota sells a lot of SUVs, so it seems odd to suggest that they’re missing one from their lineup. But the automotive giant — builder of four of the world’s five best-selling cars — appears to believe it’s one short.
Toyota will use next week’s LA Auto Show to reveal a new 2-row midsize SUV. It will share a name with the automaker’s newest sedan — a practice that seems strange in America but common in Japan, Toyota’s home market.
The company released a teaser photo hinting at the vehicle last month. A second photo, released this week, confirms what we suspected. For 2024, America will get the Toyota Crown SUV.
Toyota Has a Lot of Crowns
We already get the Crown sedan, though it’s new enough that you may not have seen one on the road. A full-size sedan riding as high as most SUVs, it earns high marks from our expert test drivers.
But Japanese car shoppers also get a second, sleeker Crown sedan, a Crown Sport compact SUV, and soon, a Crown Estate midsize SUV. That last one seems to be headed for the U.S., where it will probably lose the “estate” title.
We expect it to be a family-oriented 2-row midsize SUV, probably using the same powertrains as the Crown sedan. That means a 236-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder hybrid or a 340-hp 2.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder hybrid system. All-wheel drive (AWD) is standard in the sedan and should be the same in the SUV.
And a LOT of SUVs
The Crown’s arrival gives Toyota a crowded SUV lineup. The automaker will soon sell the RAV4, RAV4 hybrid, RAV4 Prime, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, and the electric bZ4X as compact SUVs; the Venza, this new Crown SUV, and the off-road 4Runner in the 2-row midsize segment; the Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Grand Highlander, and Grand Highlander Hybrid in the midsize 3-row category; and the Sequoia and rugged Land Cruiser as full-size models.
There’s only so much space in the showroom. That list shows enough overlap to make us wonder if the Crown’s arrival might mean the Venza’s days are numbered. We’ve contacted Toyota to ask and will update this story if they reply.
