In the event you’ve ever checked out a Toyota SUV and wished it may imbue just a little extra luxurious in your life, however you’ve concurrently felt like Lexus was merely too luxurious for you, then I’ve obtained completely implausible 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 check driving 4 new or refreshed Toyota fashions in simply two days. It was a powerful show of occasion group, although I believe I used to be most taken by the ducklings and flamingos residing within the pond outdoors the resort.
Right here in the US, you in all probability haven’t come throughout the Crown nameplate except you’re already deep within the throes of automotive enthusiasm — however in Japan, it’s a giant 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 just a few many years, however they by no means fairly made it past 1972. Through the years in Japan, the Crown has developed a status as a novel and opulent Toyota sub-brand that epitomizes refinement and class, the sort that authorities officers and dignitaries love to make use of. The Crown sub-brand has additionally served as a means for Toyota to deviate from its customary design language and manufacturing objectives. 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 might 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 to be able to make room for the Crown Signia. It gained’t be an ideal one-to-one substitute, because the Crown Signia might be each extra highly effective and costlier than the outgoing Venza. Its underpinnings are additionally completely different than that of the Venza, although it is constructed on the identical TNGA-Ok platform that serves as the bottom for the Crown Sedan.
For 2025 the Crown Signia will function simply two trims, XLE and Restricted, which might be 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 elements: 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. Count on 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 this can be a luxury-adjacent automobile, you get customary 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 customary is a five-seat configuration with a fold-flat second row that may create a large 6.5-foot-long cargo house within the rear.
The bottom-level trim for the Crown Signia is the XLE, which begins at $44,985 together with necessary 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’ll be able to 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. A further $1,865 Superior Expertise Package deal features a panoramic view monitor, lane change help, 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 observed in regards to the Crown Signia was its extra standard design. It most positively seems 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 comfy cabin. Up entrance is a smooth 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 lots of the people 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 if 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 significantly inspiring.
So far as the drive itself went, I discovered myself in a number of completely different minds in regards to the Crown Signia unexpectedly. The engine sounded just a little uninspired and positively lets you understand when it’s placing in some work, however you doubtless gained’t discover a lot because of 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 highway with out feeling like I used to be going to tip over. On the similar 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 this can be 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 main impression of the Crown Signia was that this can be a automobile that feels unfinished. I check drove it in April, and the embargo has simply now lifted in June, so I solely perceive that there could also be pre-production bugs which might be nonetheless being ironed out. However my “unfinished” critique doesn’t solely apply to the driving expertise — it appears like the overall idea of your entire automobile, in addition to the Crown nameplate as an entire, wants work.
Let me return to the purpose I discussed originally, that the Crown has historically been a means for Toyota to paint outdoors its personal brand-driven traces. 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 like the results of throwing the sedan and the outgoing Toyota Venza right into a blender: Lots of it’s already acquainted, however extra within the “acquaintance you principally tolerate” means than a “household, buddies, and family members” means.
That sentiment was pushed residence 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 automobile? What have been designers and engineers most enthusiastic about? What’s the factor that journalists maintain mentioning? The rep I spoke to was a advertising and marketing rep fairly 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 toes of cargo house. Certain, 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 truthfully very charmed by the Crown Signia. I like that Toyota is experimenting with a nameplate that doesn’t create on the spot client recognition, as a result of it means the automaker can experiment. I like that the Crown Signia blends the very best elements 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 automobile by any stretch — it simply doesn’t fairly know what it needs to be but.
