The Toyota Crown, one of the brand’s old-school stalwarts, has arrived back in the UAE after a hiatus of more than 20 years. The 2023 vehicle, which sits in what motor industry insiders refer to as the mid-size luxury class, made its regional return this week, and it has been reimagined from the tyres up. While the Crown’s 16 generations have had it presented as a standard sedan, this latest version has the air of a Corolla that’s done some serious gym time. The swept-back shape owes as much to a classic Japanese sports car – its stablemate the Supra, say – as any average saloon. There’s some forcefulness under the bonnet, too. The Crown is a hybrid, powered by a four-cylinder 2.4-litre engine paired with electric motors that can, altogether, produce 345 horsepower. That gives the car a 0-100kph time of 5.7 seconds. One of the most noticeable things about the Crown, however, is its lofty ride height. Admittedly, it’s no SUV in the tall-and-broad stakes, but the less flexible won’t be needing hydraulic equipment to get in and out. Toyota has big plans for the car, positioning it alongside the Land Cruiser as the company’s flagship passenger vehicle. Abu Dhabi played host to the regional unveiling, but the manufacturer first gave the world a glimpse of the car at an event in Tokyo last year. Compared with the brand’s other models, the Crown has kept a lowish profile in many parts of the world, not least the Middle East where it was last seen in 2000. However, don’t be fooled into thinking it doesn’t have serious automotive kudos. We called it an old-school stalwart, and that’s what it is – the car was introduced nearly 70 years ago, making it the longest-running passenger-car nameplate of any Toyota model. It was also the first Japanese vehicle to be imported to the US when it arrived on North American shores in 1958, being marketed as the Toyopet Crown. The 2023 version will be available in about 40 countries and regions across the globe, with an expected annual sales volume of 200,000 units. There are two versions of the Crown available in the UAE, the Premium and XLE. Both are available now, with prices starting at Dh199,900.
