The Striking Design of Toyota’s New-Generation Crown

I recently had the chance to take a Toyota Crown Sport for a drive. A friend of mine who’s a fellow car enthusiast had just bought one.

This new model has been turning heads with a bold design that sets it apart from the Crown of the past.

Even from a distance, its striking shape immediately caught my eye.

“That looks seriously good” was my honest first reaction. It wasn’t just polite praise—I genuinely felt I was looking at a terrific car.

Some people say the design resembles the Ferrari Purosangue, but to my eye, the Crown Sport’s styling feels more cohesive. The Purosangue looks a little stretched out, while the Crown Sport has a more compact, solid presence. If you swapped the badges, you might find yourself saying, “Ferrari really is something else!”

One detail that really stands out is the large 21-inch wheels.

They give the car a sharper stance and add to its premium feel. It’s also worth noting that Toyota fitted Michelin e.Primacy tires. It’s refreshing to see a Japanese carmaker choose Michelin rather than cut costs with cheaper domestic tires.

The e.Primacy is also used on the Model 3. It isn’t especially grippy, but it has very low rolling resistance, and it’s quiet and comfortable.

A Refined Interior Designed for Comfort

Inside, the first thing that surprised me was the quality of the seats. Rather than the flat, overly soft seats you often find in Japanese cars, these have a well-shaped, supportive design. The cushions are firm enough, with good bolstering, and look comfortable even on longer drives.

The dashboard and steering wheel combine a premium feel with a fresh design, without compromising ease of use. The layout is conventional, without trying too hard to be different. It’s an interface that anyone can figure out, reflecting Toyota’s typically conservative approach—in a good way. Even the gear selector follows familiar conventions, making it intuitive to use.

In this respect, the Crown is the exact opposite of a Tesla. Toyota has built an interface around what its customers say they want, while Tesla expects users to adapt to the interface it believes is best. The two approaches couldn’t be more different—and which one you prefer comes down to personal taste.

Impressive Handling and Ride Comfort

The most impressive part of the Crown Sport’s driving experience is its suspension.

Compared with previous Crowns, the difference is like night and day. Earlier models felt short on body rigidity, and when I turned the wheel with some enthusiasm on the highway, the rear seemed to lag behind. I remember being astonished and wondering, “Are Japanese cars really still at this level?” But the new Crown Sport is a completely different proposition. It may not feel quite as solid as a German car, but its suspension is impressively composed. In terms of firmness, it feels similar to the Tesla Model 3 Highland.

The suspension has a comfortable degree of softness, but there’s a firm, well-controlled core to it. You could call it a “Sanuki udon-style” setup—a reference to the thick, chewy texture of Sanuki udon noodles. Unlike older Crowns, which could feel floppy and unsettled, this car has a welcome sense of rigidity. Drivers accustomed to European cars will likely find it about right.

That said, if I’m being picky, I did notice a slight “clunk-clunk” over bumps—possibly a consequence of the 21-inch wheels. If this car didn’t wear the Crown name, it wouldn’t be an issue at all. But given the expectations that come with the name, I’d like to see better noise control. I suspect smaller wheels—20 inches or less—might have made the ride quieter and smoother. On the other hand, they could also take away from the car’s striking appearance. It’s a tough trade-off.

At city speeds, the ride is extremely comfortable, with little to complain about. Compared with the Tesla Model 3, it doesn’t have quite the same smooth, gliding feel, but that seems more down to the large tires than the car itself. Pick up the pace and take a medium-speed corner, though, and you can feel the car’s relatively high center of gravity, with the body moving noticeably from side to side.

I’d like a flatter cornering attitude, more like a European car’s. But make the suspension any firmer and I suspect Crown Sport buyers might push back. Perhaps this setup strikes the right balance for its intended audience.

The Powertrain’s Character, Not Its Performance, Needs Work

The Crown Sport is powered by a 2.5-liter hybrid system. It pulls away quietly on electric power, but I found the motor’s torque a little underwhelming. You can’t expect the same punch as a full EV, of course, but I’d have liked a more immediate, lively launch—something closer to the response of Mercedes’ mild hybrids.

What stood out most while driving was the powertrain’s character. Press the accelerator and the engine starts almost immediately. The problem is that the engine sound and the car’s acceleration don’t quite match. The revs rise, but the speed doesn’t increase in step; instead, there’s a sensation that acceleration arrives about two beats later. I found myself pressing the accelerator harder than necessary because the car wasn’t picking up speed as I expected—which probably didn’t help fuel economy.

Honestly, the powertrain feels much like the one in an older Prius, with little sense of a direct connection between the engine or motor and the wheels. Here, it’s the opposite of a Tesla. Unfortunately, the Crown Sport doesn’t deliver that satisfying, intuitive control you get in a Tesla, where even a small movement of your right foot lets you adjust the car’s pace so precisely.

This seems to be a characteristic of the CVT (continuously variable transmission), but there’s room for improvement in a car that wears the “Sport” name. What I’d like is not necessarily more speed or power, but more immediate acceleration that responds faithfully to the driver’s intent.

The engine noise could also be better controlled, especially given the Crown’s reputation as a luxury car. Perhaps Toyota deliberately lets you hear the engine to create a sportier impression, but because the sound doesn’t correspond to the car’s speed, it has the opposite effect. A hushed cabin like that of the old Toyota Windom—where you could barely tell whether the engine was running—would make the Crown feel even more premium.

Driver Assistance and Final Verdict

The Crown Sport comes with Proactive Driving Assist (PDA), a driver-assistance system.

It can help with tasks such as automatically applying the brakes to match the speed of the vehicle ahead. Its operation is similar to the Porsche Taycan’s regenerative braking when set to AUTO. It should be particularly useful for drivers who aren’t confident behind the wheel or who prioritize comfort. The car also includes a range of other safety features, including lane departure alerts and forward collision warnings.

Overall, the Crown Sport is a great fit for city driving and commuting. The owner told me it returns more than 20 km/L (about 47 mpg US), making it economical to run, too.

As a model with “Sport” in its name, the one area I feel could be improved is the powertrain’s character—not its outright performance.

In the 6-million-yen price range, it’s an appealing car with a lot to offer. Still, drivers looking for a truly sporty feel may want to consider other models as well. The only thing that really bothered me was the powertrain’s response. In every other respect—especially its suspension, ride comfort, and design—the Crown Sport is an excellent car that easily earns a passing grade.