Toyota Crown Sport Arrives in Japan As A Sporty Hybrid SUV

Making its debut in the Japanese market today is the all-new Toyota Crown Sport – a sporty hybrid SUV which is part of the marque’s newly-revamped Crown lineup. Featuring sporty design as we’ve seen on its concept twin last year, the Crown Sport arrives in a sole series-parallel hybrid (HEV) first, with a plug-in (PHEV) version coming later in Dec this year.

The Crown Sport gets Toyota's signature hammerhead front face

Compared to the US-spec Crown Sport, this JDM model measures slightly shorter and wider, giving it a sportier stance. Not to be confused with the manic Ferrari Purosangue, the Crown Sport gets almost similar-looking front fascia to said Italian crossover, featuring the marque’s latest hammerhead face with C-shaped LED headlights.

From the side, the Crown Sport is a pretty sporty car to look at, thanks to its elongated front hood and sleek roofline, as well as the flared-out rear wheel arches. From here, you can also notice the massive 21-inch alloy wheels the Crown Sport rides on, which is pretty big for its size. At the rear, the Crown Sport is equally sporty, with its horizontally-mounted LED taillights, vertical side vents and its raking rear windscreen all added to its sportiness.

On board, the Crown Sports is laden with both tech and comfort amenities, including a sizable 12.3-inch central infotainment display borrowed from the Crown Crossover model, while the cabin upholstery is offered in either Sand Brown or Black hue options. Helping to improve cabin NVH level is the new ‘sound-regulating’ headliner that reflects sounds within the cabin, allowing passengers to converse with each other easily.

The Crown Sport is powered by Toyota's proprietary series-parallel hybrid (HEV) powertrain setup

As for the mechanical bits, the TNGA-based Crown Sport is powered by the same 2.5-litre E-Four Parallel Hybrid powertrain setup we saw on the Crown Crossover, though the marque did not specify its total system output. This HEV model will be followed by a PHEV version later this year, which uses a larger lithium-ion battery pack, offering a better all-electric range.

Aside from that, the Crown Sport’s TNGA chassis has been re-tuned to provide an “enjoyable driving experience”, supplemented by the introduction of Toyota’s proprietary Dynamic Rear Steering (DRS) system.

The new Crown Sport will be joined by other next-gen Crown models in Japan

Set to be manufactured at Toyota Japan’s Tsutsumi Plant, the all-new Toyota Crown Sport is priced from JPY 5.9 million (RM)  for the baseline Hybrid Sport Z trim level. Orders for this sporty SUV have been opened, with the marque targeting a sales output of 700 units per month.

Aside from the newly-unveiled Crown Sport and Crown Crossover, Toyota’s new Crown lineup in Japan will be joined by the Crown Sedan later in Nov this year, followed by the Crown Estate later in 2024.