If you happen to’ve ever checked out a Toyota SUV and wished it may imbue slightly extra luxurious in your life, however you’ve concurrently felt like Lexus was merely too luxurious for you, then I’ve acquired completely improbable information: the luxury-adjacent 2025 Toyota Crown Signia would possibly simply fill that hyperspecific area of interest!
Full disclosure: Toyota invited me to Coronado Island in San Diego, California for an all-out journey take a look at driving 4 new or refreshed Toyota fashions in simply two days. It was a formidable show of occasion group, although I believe I used to be most taken by the ducklings and flamingos dwelling within the pond exterior the lodge.
Right here in america, you most likely haven’t come throughout the Crown nameplate until you’re already deep within the throes of automotive enthusiasm — however in Japan, it’s an enormous deal. Again in 1955, Toyota launched the primary Crown sedan, which makes it the longest-running nameplate that Toyota has ever had. The U.S. noticed some Crown imports for a number of many years, however they by no means fairly made it past 1972. Over time in Japan, the Crown has developed a repute as a singular and opulent Toyota sub-brand that epitomizes refinement and magnificence, the sort that authorities officers and dignitaries love to make use of. The Crown sub-brand has additionally served as a method for Toyota to deviate from its normal design language and manufacturing targets. This is a vital level, and I’m going to return to it in a second.
In 2022, Toyota made waves when it introduced its intention to construct 4 completely different Crown fashions, with the primary — a lifted, upmarket sedan that would simply do enterprise as a crossover — destined for North American shores. The Crown Sedan and Crown Sport gained’t be provided within the U.S., however the second Crown automobile, often called the Crown Property in Japan, is coming to America because the 2025 Crown Signia SUV.
The Crown Signia is a brand new providing from Toyota, in fact, however it’s additionally filling the mid-size area of interest left behind by the Venza, which is being discontinued for 2024 in an effort to make room for the Crown Signia. It gained’t be an ideal one-to-one alternative, because the Crown Signia can be each extra highly effective and dearer than the outgoing Venza. Its underpinnings are additionally completely different than that of the Venza, although it is constructed on the identical TNGA-Okay platform that serves as the bottom for the Crown Sedan.
For 2025 the Crown Signia will function simply two trims, XLE and Restricted, which are each powered by a hybrid system. A 2.4-liter inline-4 engine is mated to a 230.4-volt Bi-Polar NiMH traction battery that’s additionally able to storing vitality for later use, and a hybrid transaxle that’s made up of 4 parts: two electrical motor-generators, one planetary gear, and a discount gear. What this implies for you as a driver is that you simply’ll have 240 mixed horsepower to play with, and Toyota’s refined powertrain know-how makes for a lighter, extra environment friendly automobile. Anticipate round 38 miles per gallon mixed, about the identical because the Venza.
Each trims additionally make the most of on-demand all-wheel drive and have three drive modes: Regular, Eco, and Sport. As a result of it shares a platform with the Crown sedan, you get a barely decrease journey than you’d count on from an SUV, with the Crown Signia boasting 6.7 inches of floor clearance. Regardless of the decrease stance, you continue to have the flexibility to tow as much as 2,700 kilos.
Since it is a luxury-adjacent automobile, you get normal leather-trimmed seats, a digital gauge cluster, piano key controls, a top-tier infotainment system with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a telescoping steering wheel, and a hands-free liftgate. Additionally normal is a five-seat configuration with a fold-flat second row that may create a large 6.5-foot-long cargo area within the rear.
The bottom-level trim for the Crown Signia is the XLE, which begins at $44,985 together with obligatory vacation spot charges. For that worth, you’re getting 19-inch machine-finished alloy wheels, heated and ventilated energy entrance seats, heated rear outboard seats, and a six-speaker audio system. For $49,385, you may nab the top-level Restricted trim, which provides 21-inch alloy wheels, a hard and fast glass panoramic roof, an 11-speaker JBL sound system, digital key functionality, and rain sensing windshield wipers. An extra $1,865 Superior Expertise Bundle features a panoramic view monitor, lane change help, site visitors jam help, entrance cross-traffic alert, parking help with computerized braking, mirror puddle lights, and extra.
The place the Crown sedan included some controversial styling components, I believe the very first thing I seen concerning the Crown Signia was its extra typical design. It most positively seems to be like an SUV, albeit a trendy one with a flowing silhouette and a enjoyable color-matched webbed grille, a design function beginning to unfold throughout Toyota’s lineup.
Contained in the Crown Signia has a spacious and cozy cabin. Up entrance is a modern and easy to make use of command middle that has stored the bodily button scenario to a good minimal. One of many small-pleasure highlights for most of the of us I spoke to on my journey was the Qi charging pad, which is positioned upright, type of like a cup holder. Allegedly it makes a really satisfying thunk once you stick your telephone in it, however the butterfingers-proof case I carry on my Google Pixel meant I couldn’t expertise that myself. The rear seats, although, weren’t notably inspiring.
So far as the drive itself went, I discovered myself in a number of completely different minds concerning the Crown Signia unexpectedly. The engine sounded slightly uninspired and positively lets you understand when it’s placing in some work, however you probably gained’t discover a lot due to the quiet cabin. Its decrease, sedan-ish journey top retains the middle of gravity planted nearer to the earth, which meant I may take a twisty mountainside street with out feeling like I used to be going to tip over. On the identical time, I discovered the steering to be very free, to the purpose the place I may wiggle the wheel fairly a bit earlier than there was any response. Clearly it is a extra luxurious automobile than a sporty one, however I do count on firmer and extra intentional steering suggestions from one thing that’s going to price me $50,000.
My major impression of the Crown Signia was that it is a automobile that feels unfinished. I take a look at drove it in April, and the embargo has simply now lifted in June, so I fully perceive that there could also be pre-production bugs which are nonetheless being ironed out. However my “unfinished” critique doesn’t solely apply to the driving expertise — it appears like the final idea of your complete automobile, in addition to the Crown nameplate as a complete, wants work.
Let me return to the purpose I discussed initially, that the Crown has historically been a method for Toyota to paint exterior its personal brand-driven strains. The Crown Signia doesn’t actually really feel prefer it’s breaking any boundaries or pushing any attention-grabbing limits. Whereas the Crown sedan-crossover felt enjoyable and recent, the Crown Signia looks as if the results of throwing the sedan and the outgoing Toyota Venza right into a blender: Numerous it’s already acquainted, however extra within the “acquaintance you principally tolerate” method than a “household, buddies, and family members” method.
That sentiment was pushed dwelling by a Crown Signia consultant I spoke to throughout Toyota’s drive occasion. I attempted asking a number of completely different however associated questions on what makes this automobile particular and why patrons ought to care: What’s the most attention-grabbing a part of the automotive? What have been designers and engineers most enthusiastic about? What’s the factor that journalists preserve mentioning? The rep I spoke to was a advertising rep moderately than somebody deeply concerned within the design and engineering course of, so I wasn’t anticipating in-depth technical perception. I used to be, nevertheless, anticipating to listen to one thing past the repeated chorus that a very powerful a part of this SUV is the fold-flat second row that gives 6.5 ft of cargo area. Positive, that’s a cool and spectacular function, however that shouldn’t be the function that Toyota is asking me to spend $50,000 on.
Regardless of my criticisms, although, I used to be actually very charmed by the Crown Signia. I like that Toyota is experimenting with a nameplate that doesn’t create instantaneous client recognition, as a result of it means the automaker can experiment. I like that the Crown Signia blends one of the best components of a sedan with the advantages of an SUV. I completely loved the expertise of being within the cockpit, which is quiet, flooded with mild, and surprisingly calm.
Sadly, these positives aren’t sufficient to outweigh the mediocre driving dynamics, the odd makes an attempt to generate curiosity, and the low-budget efforts at recreating a luxurious expertise (just like the reliance on piano black inside trim, or the boring second row). The 2025 Toyota Crown Signia isn’t a unhealthy automotive by any stretch — it simply doesn’t fairly know what it desires to be but.
