Skip to main content

The Toyota Crown is one of the most-anticipated cars to come out this year. It’s a bit strange, in that it’s a tall sedan with some SUV in it, and it comes in some funky paint schemes. But the 2023 Crown is notable for having not just one, but two, hybrid options to power it. There’s no gas-only version of the 2023 Toyota Crown.

The Toyota Crown has two hybrid options.

The HYBRID MAX powertrain, exclusive to the Platinum grade, is Toyota’s all-new performance hybrid that puts out 340 net horsepower and is paired with a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine and a direct shift 6-speed automatic transmission. Where the MAX version shines, though, is with its 400 lb-ft of torque, which is more power than many full-sized pickups make. The standard THS IV motor gets 42 mpg city and 41 mpg highway. The MAX option drops that to 29 mpg city and 32 highway.

The XLE and Limited grades come equipped with THS IV, which can achieve a manufacturer-estimated 38 MPG. It has 236 combined horsepower. While the MAX gets a traditional automatic transmission to handle the power, the THS IV-equipped cars get an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission or CVT.

Future versions of the Crown will get plug-in hybrid and even fuel cell drivetrains, according to Green Car Reports.

Is the Toyota Crown all-wheel drive?

A rear side profile shot of a 2023 Toyota Crown Platinum lift-up sedan model in Oxygen White in a park
2023 Toyota Crown Platinum | Toyota

Each version of the 2023 Toyota Crown comes with all-wheel drive, but they’re not the same. They both use Toyota’s clever electric system that simply adds an electric motor in the back, rather than connecting a complicated driveshaft to the car. The regular Hybrid  version has a part time system, but mostly the car is in front-wheel drive mode. The MAX cars get a full-time system that is always working.

Is the Toyota Crown available in the U.S?

The HYBRID MAX motor in a Toyota Crown
The HYBRID MAX engine in a Toyota Crown | Toyota

Finally for 2023 we get Toyota’s flagship sedan here in the U.S. For years Toyota has teased us with fancy cars that have incredible options and style, but were made for Japan. In the U.S., Toyota launched Lexus instead. But now that we do have the crown, it’s getting a lot of attention. It replaced the beloved Toyota Avalon.

How much is a Toyota Crown?

Interior of the Toyota Crown
Toyota Crown interior | Toyota

The Crown starts at $39,950 in XLE trim with the THS IV motor option. The Limited starts at $45,550, and it also has the THS IV option. To get the HYBRID MAX motor you have to step up to the Platinum version of the car, and it starts at $52,350.

The Limited comes well-equipped with every option a car in this class is expected to have. The Platinum grade includes everything on XLE and Limited and raises the bar with the Hybrid MAX powertrain, full-time electronic all-wheel drive, as well as adaptive suspension, six selectable drive modes, unique 21-inch machined 10-spoke alloy wheels with black accents and the available bi-tone paint option. It also comes with parking assistance.

Related

2023 Toyota Crown Outshines Toyota Corolla for 1 Big Reason

Best in Sedans & Coupes
Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.