2024 Toyota Crown Sport Launched In Japan With Hybrid Power, PHEV Planned

Toyota has certainly chosen some confusing names for its new four-member Crown family considering the jacked-up sedan sold in the United States is known as the Crown Crossover in Japan. Pictured here and going on sale today in JDM flavor is this new Crown Sport crossover. There’s also a Crown Estate, but no, it's not a wagon as it takes the shape of an SUV larger than the Sport. The saving grace is the regular Crown Sedan.

While the idea of a Crown that's something other than a good ol' sedan might seem sacrilegious at first, lest we forget the preceding 15 generations were offered in a bunch of body styles. There have been wagons, coupes, vans, and even pickups, so there aren't any restrictions as to which type of vehicle deserves the special badge reserved for Crown models. This latest flavor is initially offered only with a hybrid setup, but a PHEV will be added in December.

At 185.8 inches long, 74 in wide, and 61.6 in tall, the Crown Sport is shorter, wider, and taller than the 2024 Crown (196.1 in / 72.4 in / 60.6 in) sold in the US. The wheelbase measures 109 inches, therefore making it a little over three inches shorter than that of the regular model. It sits on large 21-inch wheels and benefits from rear independent suspension as well as rear-wheel steering tuned specifically for this application.

Motivation is provided by the same 2.5-liter hybrid setup but that PHEV we mentioned is getting a "high-output density drive motor." The Crown Sport with a charging port is also going to feature a bigger lithium-ion battery pack for additional electric range, and Toyota says it won't hamper interior space.

Speaking of the cabin, this new crossover uses the company's first sound-regulating ceiling that "reflects sounds within the cabin." As expected, the interior is essentially the same, with the obvious changes necessary after changing the body style from a sedan to a crossover. It gets the same pair of 12.3-inch screens and all the tech found in the North American variant.

Toyota is charging 5,900,000 yen for the 2024 Crown Sport, so about $39,600 at current exchange rates. Instead of buying it outright, you can get behind the wheel by opting for a KINTO subscription service from as low as 66,550 yen ($447) per month. However, going down this road means you'll end up paying a total of 7,900,200 yen ($53,000) over the seven-year subscription period since aside from the monthly fee, there are also a couple of yearly fees of 165,000 yen ($1,108). Toyota projects it's going to sell about 700 units each month.

The aforementioned Crown Sedan is up next, scheduled to go on sale in Japan in November while the Crown Estate larger SUV will hit the local market before the end of the fiscal year.