Earlier this year news broke that the Toyota Crown, a premium sedan that’s exclusive to Japan and select Asian markets, was going to reinvent itself as an SUV.
Not only that, but word on the street was that it would become Toyota’s most expensive SUV, albeit with a more car-like flavour than the LC300.
And now we get to see just how car-like it really is, thanks to this leaked image that was published on Japanese website Creative 311.
The newcomer’s sleek design attempts to bridge the gap between sedan, coupe and SUV. The vehicle has a rather large footprint, with Creative 311 reporting an overall length of 4930mm, making it almost as long as a Land Cruiser 300.
But of course the new Toyota Crown is not an SUV for off-roading. It is likely that the vehicle is based on the TNGA-L rear-wheel drive architecture that underpins the current Lexus LX.
According to Reuters, the new Toyota Crown SUV will be offered in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric versions. The current Crown is sold with 2.5-litre I-4 and 3.5-litre V6 hybrid powertrains, offering outputs of up to 264kW.
Expect the vehicle to go up against premium SUVs from Audi, BMW and Mercedes as well as Infiniti and Hyundai’s Genesis.
The new Toyota Crown will reportedly be unveiled in full on 15 July.
IOL Motoring