The 2023 Toyota Crown Wants to Reinvent Sedans

With the debut of the 2023 Toyota Crown, the automaker’s longest-running nameplate is officially returning to the United States for the first time since 1972. While the Crown name has traditionally been affixed to an executive sedan, there have been coupe, wagon, and even pickups wearing the Crown badge over the years. Now though, Toyota has reintroduced the U.S. to the Crown by way of an SUV-influenced sedan, mirroring the likes of the Subaru Legacy SUS/Outback or Honda Crosstour. R&T sat down with some executives from Toyota North America to learn more about the driving factors behind this curious styling decision.

It is no secret that the sedan is a dying breed in America’s car market. Spurred on by the greater profit margins and increasing customer interest brought by SUVs, automakers like Ford and Chevrolet have started to kill off their sedan offerings altogether. Toyota itself has a large collection of SUVs and crossovers on offer, but the brand has been very vocal about its commitment to keeping sedans alive. That said, the automaker knew that an updated Crown sedan would have to do something different to lure customers out of the growing crossover market.

“Globally, there was a desire to reinvent the Crown, and to reinvent our entry in the sedan segment specific to the United States,” vice president of marketing for Toyota North America Lisa Materazzo told R&T. “When we look at our market, we do see a white space and an opportunity for this type of vehicle. We know there are younger buyers, let’s say a Gen X or an older Millennial, who aren’t interested in a sedan, but they are looking for something different. We talk about the target customers as being independent thinkers and doers. They’re very bold, and they’re confident. They want a vehicle that makes a similar statement, and this one delivers.”