Toyota Crown Estate

PHV and hybrid lineup

The Estate is the final piece of the Crown series. With a smooth ride and well-thought-out luggage space, it's sure to be a hit. — The Estate is the final piece of the Crown series. With a smooth ride and well-thought-out luggage space, it’s sure to be a hit.

It was announced in July 2022 that the 16th generation new Crown would be a series of four models. The first, the Crossover, was to be released in September of the same year, followed by the Sports in October 2023, the Sedan in November of the same year, and the final Estate, which was also scheduled to be released within fiscal year 2023. However, just before the end of that fiscal year, in February 2024, the company announced that the release would be postponed due to “further development of the vehicle”…and then, at the same time, the certification process was temporarily suspended due to the aforementioned certification fraud issue.

The Crown Estate was finally released this March. Looking back, it has been two years and seven months since its first public appearance. In fact, the media test drive event I covered this time also had other Crown models in attendance, including a crossover that had been on the market for two and a half years. Since I had the chance, I also test drove the crossover, and it seems that the latest model has undergone some improvements similar to those of the estate, and its driving performance has definitely improved.

Achieves 89km of EV driving range on a single charge

The PHV model, which combines a 2.5-liter engine with a motor, achieves an EV driving range of 89km, which is sufficient for everyday use.

A digression. The Crown Estate, the subject of this page, is based on the same transversely mounted GA-K platform as the Crown Crossover and Sport (the GA-L platform is rear-wheel drive only for the sedan), and is available in both a 2.5-liter hybrid vehicle (HEV) and a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV).

The body is a hatchback, and its overall length of 4,930mm is the second longest Crown, tied with crossovers, and larger than the Lexus RX. Its overall height of 1,620mm is not large for a premium SUV, but it is the tallest Crown. Furthermore, its price range of 6.35 million to 8.1 million yen is second only to the sedan for a Crown. In other words, the Crown Estate is the largest and most premium crossover SUV in Japan under the Toyota brand, excluding the Century SUV and the Land Cruiser series with their independent frame structure.

A luggage compartment large enough for an adult man to lie down vertically

This estate car has a huge luggage capacity of 570 liters under normal conditions and 1,470 liters when the rear seats are folded down. When the rear seats are folded down, a flat space measuring 2m in length is created. Deck chairs and deck tables are also newly adopted. — [1]

As the name Estate suggests, this car’s distinctive feature is its luggage space. In addition to its large body size, it also has a long rear overhang for an SUV, meaning that the length of the luggage compartment is 1070mm even with a full five-seater load. This is the second longest length among Japanese crossover SUVs after the Mazda CX-80. What’s more, it comes standard with an extension board that fills the gap between the folded rear seats and the front seatbacks, making the maximum length of the luggage compartment 2m. When laid down, it’s large enough to fit a 29-inch mountain bike, and even large adult men can lie down comfortably upright.

To make the most of the luggage compartment’s potential, a specially designed carpet with a fine pile has been laid throughout the interior, and deck chairs and a table reminiscent of a certain high-end British SUV have also been provided. Everyone’s opinions on this are different, but it certainly stimulates the imagination.

Of the four Crown models, the three SUV models (excluding the sedan) share basic hardware and interior design, but each has its own unique ride feel tailored to its own character. The Estate aims for a soft feel similar to the sedan. In other words, it has a feel similar to the traditional Crown that middle-aged and older people imagine.

Maximum consideration given to rear seat comfort

The meters and displays are positioned horizontally to minimize the driver's line of sight. The "Rear Comfort Mode," which takes into consideration the riding comfort of rear seats, is only available on the PHV. — [2]

The interior is available in three colors: "Black," "Saddle Tan," and "Grayish Blue," exclusive to the PHV. — [2]

When you actually drive it, you can’t help but smile at the smooth road feel that gently absorbs cracks and undulations in the road. This is especially noticeable in PHVs equipped with electronically controlled variable dampers.

That said, unlike the old Crown, the roof does not move dramatically, and the car maintains a stable, flat posture, which is typical of a modern car. This is likely thanks to the GA-K’s unique low center of gravity, as well as the latest dynamics technologies such as the aforementioned electronically controlled continuously variable dampers and rear-wheel steering that maintains the same phase at high speeds. I was surprised that the test drive route for this event was based in Hakone, but it also included highways, but once I drove it, it made sense. I was impressed by how well the car maintained its soft feel and flatness, from mountain roads to highways.

Even though it’s the same Crown, the Crown Sport boasts a sharp driving feel reminiscent of SUVs from European sports car brands. That’s not bad in itself, but for a middle-aged person like me, the one that most sympathizes with the name Crown is the sedan that inherits the FR layout, and this estate SUV.

REPORT / Hiromune SANO

PHOTO / Wataru TAMURA

MAGAZINE / GENROQ June 2025 issue

SPECIFICATIONS

Toyota Crown Estate RS

Body size: Length 4930, Width 1880, Height 1625mm

Wheelbase: 2850mm

Engine: Inline 4-cylinder DOHC

Total displacement: 2487cc

Maximum output: 130kW (177PS) / 6000rpm

Maximum torque: 219Nm (22.3kgm) / 3600rpm

Front motor maximum output: 134kW (182PS)

Front motor maximum torque: 270Nm (27.5kgm)

Rear motor maximum output: 40kW (54PS)

Rear motor maximum torque: 121Nm (12.3kgm)

Transmission: Electric continuously variable transmission

Drive system: AWD

Suspension type: Front MacPherson strut, rear multi-link

Brakes: Front and rear ventilated disc

Tire size: Front and rear 235/45R21

Vehicle price: 8.1 million yen