Toyota on Tuesday released a teaser photo of what it describesd as a hybrid mid-size SUV with all-wheel drive destined for sale in the U.S.
The automaker hasn’t said anything else about the vehicle but the photo suggests the vehicle in question is the production version of the Crown Estate concept shown in 2022.
Toyota launched the high-riding 2023 Crown sedan in the U.S. last year as the replacement for the Avalon, but it’s just one of four distinct body styles the automaker plans for the nameplate.
The second is the rakish Crown Sport crossover that launched in Japan earlier this month. Other planned body styles include a low-slung sedan and a more traditional SUV. Toyota hasn’t announced plans to launch any of the additional body styles in the U.S., but the teaser photo points to the traditional SUV reaching showrooms here. A debut is expected to take place at next month’s 2023 Los Angeles auto show.
Toyota Crown Estate wagon concept
Toyota Crown Estate wagon concept
The taillight design shown in the teaser photo matches the design used on the Crown Estate concept. The visible “C” badge is also stylized like the C that forms the Crown name on the back of the back of the 2023 Crown.
Powertrains will likely be shared with the 2023 Crown. The high-riding sedan is currently offered with two options, both hybrids with through-the-road all-wheel-drive systems where an electric motor powers the rear axle. The standard powertrain uses a 2.5-liter inline-4 as the internal-combustion component, while a more potent setup swaps in a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-4. The powertrains are rated at 236 and 340 hp, respectively.
A plug-in hybrid option is also possible at some point, and later even an electric option. The Crown Sport crossover has been launched in Japan with an available plug-in hybrid powertrain using the 2.5-liter inline-4, though Toyota hasn’t published performance figures.
More details will likely be revealed in the lead up to the L.A. auto show which starts Nov. 17.
