Two and a half years after premiering the fifteenth generation of its Crown sedan, Toyota has given it a considerable refresh. The exterior makes do with new 18-inch wheels and three paint options, but the cabin gets may more attention this time around.
The main novelty arrives in the shape of one continuous 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen that replaces the two separate displays on the center console. The HVAC interface goes through a redesign winding up with horizontal air blowers instead of vertical, and the more expensive trims now offer genuine leather seats.
The Toyota Safety Sense package becomes smarter in the 2021 version. For instance, the sedan can now carefully emergency-brake itself in its current lane if the drivers suffers a medical condition. The adaptive cruise control now adjusts the speed well ahead of curves, and the automatic emergency braking system recognizes pedestrians, cyclists and the oncoming traffic.
The model still comes powered by its usual assortment of engines, specifically a 2.0-liter turbo-four good for 245 PS (242 hp / 180 kW) in conjunction with an eight-speed A/T and two hybrid systems. One of these uses a 2.5-liter engine and produces 225 PS (222 hp / 165 kW), and the other benefits from a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 359 PS (354 hp / 264 kW). The drive stays on the rear axle by default, but the less powerful hybrid supports optional AWD.