The New Crown Returns： From Legend to More Legendary

If you were to ask about the longest-lived car in existence that has not yet been replaced, what would you think of? Rolls-Royce, the Beetle or the world’s best-selling Golf? Neither. Rolls-Royce was later acquired by BMW, the Beetle experienced a period of discontinuation, and the golf’s history is not yet called long-lived.

To say that the truly long-lived model is actually Toyota’s Crown (CROWN). After 68 years of historical inheritance of the 16th generation models, as a classic representative of Japanese cars, it highlights the Eastern car-making philosophy. It can be said that each generation of "Crown CROWN" is a microcosm of the evolution of the Japanese auto industry and the highest representative of Toyota’s car-making technology.

In 1982, the second-generation Toyota Crown was introduced into the Chinese market as an original import, becoming the first luxury car introduced after China’s reform and opening up. In 2005, the 12th-generation Crown was officially domesticated by FAW Toyota. Faced with the trend of market change and consumption upgrade, FAW Toyota has been thinking about how to continue the legend of the Crown for more than a decade.

Therefore, in July 2021, FAW Toyota announced that Crown had officially become its high-end flagship brand, launching two new cars, Wilfa and Lu Fang, completing the transformation from "model to brand"; in November 2022, the new Crown brand was renewed, and the "first medium-sized luxury crossover" new Crown SportCross was unveiled.

At the Guangzhou Auto Show in November 2023, the Crown brand finally ushered in the final piece of the puzzle – the new Crown, a full-category luxury brand covering sedans, crossovers, SUVs and MPVs.

Legendary models, in the same vein

Since its inception, Crown has carried the Toyota Group’s values of "making better cars", which may sound a little simple, but behind it is Crown’s decades-long commitment to the era and user-centered good intentions.

For the impression of the Crown, most people’s memories may begin with the 12th-generation Toyota Crown model launched in 2005.

On the one hand, it was made domestically by FAW Toyota for the first time, which meant that it could enter the car purchase list of more middle-class family users at that time. You know, at that time, the 12th generation Crown became the bearer of the luxury car market in the first month of its listing, and at the end of the second year, it occupied 30% of the national luxury car market. Today, the BBA of the troika in the luxury car market was only "beaten" by the crown in that year.

On the other hand, its advertising slogan "Harmony is the Tao, if you want to achieve it, you will achieve it" was indeed deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, perfectly fitting the people’s values of life, which can be said to be the most refined and complete summary of Crown. Since the seventh generation of Crown in the 1980s, riding the spring breeze of reform and opening up, Crown has become a household name, and it is reasonable to become a frequent guest in the domestic film scene at that time, and can be called the uncrowned king of "movie stars".

"Oriental, atmospheric, luxurious…" These are the adjectives you are most likely to hear from domestic consumers about the crown.

From the independent car logo in the early days to the very traditional air intake grille; from the courage to lead the technological innovation and luxury technology configuration, the image of the Crown in the luxury car market has always maintained a unique and charming charm. In different historical nodes, the Crown has created an "immortal classic" in many fields such as design, driving, riding, and control.

For example, the fifth-generation Crown Innovation adopted a self-accelerating 4AT gearbox, becoming the first production car in the world to be equipped with a four-speed automatic transmission; the sixth-generation Crown began to move closer to luxury products, equipped with fixed-speed cruise, electrically adjustable front seats, electric sunroof, front and rear air conditioning thermostat system, rear air conditioning independent control system, etc. Almost all mature new technologies at that time completed the fission beyond the family car; the eleventh-generation Crown used the ultimate front and rear drive car, opening up a new possibility for the front and rear drive; the sixteenth-generation Crown SportCross is equipped with a 2.4T high-performance hybrid system, making a bold connection between hybrid and luxury cars.

It can be said that every technology and technological equipment used by the Crown in the past, and every step of its continuous pursuit and exploration of luxury, has become the mainstream of the automotive industry in the near or far future. The Crown has long been a leading trend vane in the industry.

Go back to square one and redefine the Toyota flagship

However, the Crown had also experienced a "rebellious period", including the fact that the 13th-generation Crown had broken away from the traditional tone of the previous "black high-end car", and the addition of young elements had made it somewhat unique. The 14th-generation Crown had carried out the rejuvenation to the end, changing the word-of-mouth and impression passed down by the older generation of users.

Therefore, in the 15th generation crown, Toyota began to correct the product direction. In addition to a more handsome appearance, the 15th generation crown adopted Toyota’s new TNGA architecture, with 2.0T, 2.5 hybrid and 3.5 hybrid powertrains, ushering in a drastic change. The latest 16th generation new crown is a return to the original crown spirit, trying to redefine Toyota’s flagship sedan.

To this end, the new crown is based on the GA-L platform, with a front-and-rear-drive (FR) layout, resulting in a lower, more imposing and powerful body stance. From the appearance, the new car features a "hammerhead" front face shape, with a large "Under Priority" trapezoidal grille, and a longer front ratio to create a very powerful aura.

At the same time, the new crown’s body length is more than 5 meters, and the wheelbase is directly down to 3 meters. In addition to providing more abundant interior space, the 6-window cockpit design, slender side body lines, and two flat waistlines reveal the majesty of the flagship car everywhere, and the one-character taillight design further enhances the recognition.

But the innovation of the new crown does not stop there. The creation of luxury in the interior shows Toyota’s determination to this flagship car. The interior of the new car is designed with an island structure, and the large area of wood grain trim not only brings better texture, but also means a lot of cost. Moreover, the accessible places are covered with leather materials, and the seams of the leather steering wheel are made of "lock seam" process, which shows full sincerity in grasping the details everywhere.

In terms of technical configuration, the new crown is equipped with high-end Napa leather seats, which further enhance the exclusive feeling of the rear row. The rear electric seats are not only equipped with heating and ventilation, but also equipped with rear multi-function operation panels and sunshades and other comfortable configurations, further highlighting the luxury style of the new crown.

The replacement of the power part is the biggest highlight of the new crown. The new car is equipped with a 2.5L multi-stage hybrid system, composed of a 2.5L engine with high combustion efficiency and high power and two motors, emphasizing direct and sensitive power response. The maximum power of the system is 179kW, and the comprehensive fuel consumption of 100 kilometers is 6.24L (WLTC working conditions). The performance and fuel economy are not to be said; the high-level multi-link front suspension and low-level multi-link rear suspension are used in the control, which increases the damping force of the AVS system control shock absorber, which can also bring certain driving pleasure while ensuring an elegant and comfortable driving experience.

Adhering to the beautiful original intention of "making better cars", the new crown shows relatively strong product strength and unique product characteristics among its peers, presenting a unique oriental luxury heritage.

Accelerate innovation and embrace the new era of consumers

For decades, Crown has been dubbed with various titles and has become a symbol of luxury in the hearts of countless people. During this long journey, Crown has also grown with the Chinese automobile market, innovating in response to changes in consumer demand and embracing the new era.

In the past, product quality and craftsmanship were the key to Crown’s survival. When you sit on a Crown and feel luxurious, you don’t have to worry that it will cause you trouble due to various minor problems. The basic product strength of easy-to-open, worry-free, and reliable products will still be carried over in all models of the Crown brand.

But the footsteps of the Crown brand will not stop there. As the flagship brand of FAW Toyota, it also undertakes the important task of leading the FAW Toyota brand upward. To this end, in addition to continuously enriching the product matrix, the Crown brand will also create "Crown-level standards" in an all-round way through advanced channel networks, improved service systems, and evolving user rights.

For example, create a "Crown Independent Exhibition Hall" to bring a more warm and tasteful social home; promote the upgrade of existing 4S stores to third-generation stores, and set up a special "Crown Brand Zone" to provide users with high-quality exclusive services; continue to build a Crown elite service team to respond to the service needs of Crown brand owners and users from pre-sales to after-sales at any time.

It is worth mentioning that in the future, FAW Toyota will also create an exclusive Crown Club, which will become a social platform for Crown users to interact, share, and create together, providing more exclusive rights. It can be said that after you purchase a Crown brand model, you will have a higher level of experience throughout the entire car cycle, thus bringing pride in owning the Crown.

For Crown, all of the above will bring it a stronger sense of brand belonging, and it can also better attract users to retain and achieve the advancement of luxury brands. By constantly understanding and listening to the voices of Chinese consumers, and then providing more people with a unique car experience, Crown is creating a dialogue and resonance with the new generation of consumers at the value level.

We have reason to believe that the Crown brand, which has returned with a new attitude, will also become a luxury car complex for a new generation of consumers, taking root and sprouting in the hearts of young car lovers, and continuing to display its own unique charm.