Hybrid Car Review

Toyota unveiled a hybrid version of its Crown sedan, its flagship luxury series in Japan. The Lexus brand is Toyota's luxury "universal brand", but the Crown series is more popular in Japan.

The Crown Hybrid will be available in Japan in May. They will be priced between 5.95 million yen and 6.19 million yen. Toyota is looking to sell around 800 a month.

"The new Crown maintains the traditional quality of trust and safety while being equipped with state-of-the-art technologies," Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe told reporters.

"We have customers who strongly support the Crown brand over the Lexus." The Crown line was first launched in 1955 as Toyota's flagship luxury sedan and is particularly popular in the Japanese market.

The Crown Hybrid adopts a TFT (thin film transistor) LCD Finegraphic Meter, which features excellent visibility and provides clear information to the driver. In addition to digital and analog speedometers, a hybrid system status indicator shows output and energy recovery. A color silhouette of the vehicle appears on the display when the driver enters the cabin followed by the Crown logo the moment the engine is started.

The Night View system, available in the Crown Hybrid, features the world's first1 pedestrian detection function based on a near-infrared camera, thereby improving a driver's visibility at night.

Other Features of the Crown Hybrid

The rear-wheel drive THS II (Toyota Hybrid System II) with a two-stage motor speed reduction device provides the driving performance of a 4.5-liter vehicle with the low fuel consumption of a 2.0-liter vehicle to deliver powerful and smooth acceleration and exceptional environmental performance.

The combination of a high output 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine and a high-performance electric motor achieves excellent driving performance, a quiet ride, high fuel efficiency and clean emissions.

The electric vehicle (EV) driving mode permits the driver, simply by pressing a button, to operate the vehicle using the electric motor only, for quiet operation early in the morning or late at night and lower emissions.

The Active Noise Control function uses the speakers to cancel out engine booming noise (low-frequency engine noise) and provide an even quieter ride.

The rear-wheel drive THS II (Toyota Hybrid System II) with a two-stage motor speed reduction device provides the driving performance of a 4.5-liter vehicle with the low fuel consumption of a 2.0-liter vehicle to deliver powerful and smooth acceleration and exceptional environmental performance.

The combination of a high output 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine and a high-performance electric motor achieves excellent driving performance, a quiet ride, high fuel efficiency and clean emissions.

The electric vehicle (EV) driving mode permits the driver, simply by pressing a button, to operate the vehicle using the electric motor only, for quiet operation early in the morning or late at night and lower emissions.

The Active Noise Control function uses the speakers to cancel out engine booming noise (low-frequency engine noise) and provide an even quieter ride.

The Crown Hybrid achieves a fuel efficiency of 14.0 km/l according to the newly introduced JC08 test cycle outlined by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) and it is one of the first vehicles to meet the new 2015 Japanese fuel efficiency standards1. The vehicle also achieves the equivalent of 166g/km of CO2 emissions. (Under the traditional 10-15 test cycle, the fuel efficiency is 15.8km/l, surpassing the existing 2010 fuel efficiency standards by 20%, with CO2 emissions just 147g/km.)

Press Release Follows:

Tokyo - TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today it has completely redesigned the "Crown Royal Saloon" and "Crown Athlete" series and added a hybrid model to the product lineup. The Royal Saloon and Athlete series go on sale in Japan today and the "Crown Hybrid" will be launched in Japan on May 6.

The 13th-generation Crown unveiled today retains the sense of poise and reliability that characterizes the Crown series, which has earned a reputation as the leader among luxury vehicles in Japan over the more than half a century since its debut in 1955. At the same time, the new Crown adopts advanced technologies to create luxury sedans that provide performance at the world's highest levels.

While the hybrid version delivers outstanding cruising and environmental performance, all three series benefit from the excellent vehicle stability and preventive safety performance offered by VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management).

Other advanced features include a Pre-crash Safety System that can determine - as a world's first* - whether the driver's eyes are properly open. Such features, together with an integrated navigation system, result in one of the world's highest levels of driver support.

* As of January 2008, as surveyed by TMC


Monthly Sales Targets in Japan: 5,500 units (including 800 units of the hybrid model)


Assembly Plant:
Motomachi Plant, Toyota Motor Corporation

• The redesigned Crown features enhanced visibility, as well a sense of presence and expressiveness, based on the Toyota design philosophy of "Vibrant Clarity".

• The expanded length, width and track combine with a body that integrates the bumper, hood and fender into an organic form. The dynamic front view and flowing door styling achieve an aura of elegance.
• The front pillars have been extended forward to give the cabin an expanded look, and the door mirrors have been placed on the door panels to increase forward visibility.

• The wide instrument panel and overall feeling of openness heightens driving pleasure and contrasts with the vertical nature of the center console. The lower portion of the instrument panel, which is finished with high-quality double stitching, gently curves away from the center console.
• The Crown Hybrid adopts a TFT (thin film transistor) LCD Finegraphic Meter - the first of its kind*, which features excellent visibility and provides clear information to the driver. In addition to digital and analog speedometers, a hybrid system status indicator shows output and energy recovery. A color silhouette of the vehicle appears on the display when the driver enters the cabin followed by the Crown logo the moment the engine is started.
• The seat covers have been treated with an agent that envelops mite allergens - known to be a cause of allergy-related disorders - helping to prevent them from becoming active in the cabin.
• Navigational functions are enhanced by Map on Demand, which provides latest-information automatic map updates, and a multi-media-function HDD navigation system (compatible with the G-BOOK mX Pro telematics service), as well as a new "one-touch" operator-call service.
• The Toyota Premium Sound System, with a 19-channel amplifier and 18 speakers, offers acoustics that rival a live concert.

• The Pre-crash Safety System (millimeter-wave radar type) employs an eye monitor - the first of its kind in the world - to detect whether a driver's eyes are properly open. This function, combined with the system's current ability to determine the direction of the driver's face, enhances the ability to reduce collision-related damage.
• All models are equipped with VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management) to ensure excellent vehicle stability and preventive safety performance on slippery surfaces.
• The Night View system, available in the Crown Hybrid, features the world's first¹ pedestrian detection function based on a near-infrared camera, thereby improving a driver's visibility at night.
• The advanced car navigation system facilitates the entering and exiting of highways. Using its road map data, the system provides smooth acceleration when merging into highway traffic from an on-ramp or a service area by controlling the timing of up-shifting, as well as increasing engine braking for smooth deceleration when exiting the highway or coming to a tollbooth.
• The system also uses the map data to inform the driver of upcoming stop signs and issue a warning if the driver is late in decelerating. The world's first¹ navigation system-linked brake assist function assists the driver in the event of emergency braking, helping reduce vehicle speed.
• The Intelligent Parking Assist system helps the driver during parallel parking or backing into a parking space, using ultrasonic sensors installed on the front of the vehicle to detect the parking parameters. The system has a function that tells the driver when to turn the steering wheel and where to start backing up.
• The Emergency Braking Signal system, standard on all models, warns vehicles behind when the brakes are suddenly depressed by flashing all of the brake lights.
• Ten SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) airbags are standard on all models. Rear left and right side air bags also alleviate the impact in the event of a side-on collision.
• The front-seat structures are based on the WIL (Whiplash Injury Lessening) concept. Both the driver and front passenger seats incorporate an Active Headrest² that shifts to an appropriate position to lessen stress on the neck and reduce the risk of whiplash injuries sustained during a rear-end collision.
• The GOA (Global Outstanding Assessment) construction has been further evolved to create an advanced collision-safety body structure.
• Improvements in the body structure also reduce the likelihood of pedestrian head injuries to achieve one of the highest levels of injury prevention in the vehicle's class.

• The electronic platform, which is the basis of the electronic control system that brings out the best in the vehicle's basic performance, has been completely revamped to enhance processing power and the ability to handle the vast amounts of data coming from the engine, transmission, brakes and elsewhere.
• Switches allow drivers to select a control mode that suits their own preferences and road conditions, such as the fun-to-drive Sport Mode that, among other things, increases acceleration and deceleration responsiveness, Eco-drive Mode that supports fuel efficiency and Snow Mode when a driver requires smoother acceleration on slippery roads.
• A NAVI/AI-AVS System* enhances maneuverability, cruising stability and driving comfort by optimally controlling the dampening force of the shock absorbers based on road information from the navigation system and accumulated road surface grade difference information.

• The rear-wheel drive THS II (Toyota Hybrid System II) with a two-stage motor speed reduction device provides the driving performance of a 4.5-liter vehicle with the low fuel consumption of a 2.0-liter vehicle to deliver powerful and smooth acceleration and exceptional environmental performance.
• The combination of a high output 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine and a high-performance electric motor achieves excellent driving performance, a quiet ride, high fuel efficiency and clean emissions.
• The electric vehicle (EV) driving mode permits the driver, simply by pressing a button, to operate the vehicle using the electric motor only, for quiet operation early in the morning or late at night and lower emissions.
• The Active Noise Control function uses the speakers to cancel out engine booming noise (low-frequency engine noise) and provide an even quieter ride.

• The Crown Royal Saloon series features a V6 3.0-liter and a V6 2.5-liter engine, while the Crown Athlete series offers a V6 3.5-liter and a V6 2.5-liter engine. All engines are combined with 6 Super ECT (Super Intelligent Electronically-controlled, Six-speed Automatic Transmission) and DRAMS (Driving Response and Acceleration Management System) for smooth and powerful driving.
• The 3.5-liter engine is a D-4S (direct injection four-stroke gasoline engine, superior version), while the 3.0-liter and 2.5-liter engines are stoichiometric D-4 engines. All engines employ Dual VVT-i (Dual Variable Valve Timing-intelligent) to optimize intake and exhaust valve timing according to driving conditions.

• Efforts were made to improve fuel efficiency to reduce CO2 emissions. The Crown Hybrid achieves a fuel efficiency of 14.0 km/l according to the newly introduced JC08 test cycle outlined by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) and it is one of the first vehicles to meet the new 2015 Japanese fuel efficiency standards¹. The vehicle also achieves the equivalent of 166g/km of CO2 emissions. (Under the traditional 10-15 test cycle, the fuel efficiency is 15.8km/l, surpassing the existing 2010 fuel efficiency standards by 20%, with CO2 emissions just 147g/km.)
• The Crown Royal Saloon and the Crown Athlete both achieve fuel efficiency of 12.0km/l according to the 10-15 test cycle², with CO2 emissions of 193g/km, which surpasses the level called for by the 2010 standards by 10%.
• Both NOx (nitrogen oxides) and NMHC (non-methane hydrocarbons) have been reduced so that all vehicles now have emissions levels 75% below the 2005 standards under MLIT's Approval System for Low-emission Vehicles.
• Toyota employed Eco-VAS (Eco-Vehicle Assessment System), its original comprehensive environmental impact assessment system, to efficiently reduce overall environmental impact throughout the vehicle's lifecycle, from production and use to disposal. Environmental targets were set in the initial vehicle development stage and a life cycle assessment carried out to help the vehicles achieve a reduction of CO2 and air contaminants.
• The newly adopted Eco Zone Indicator displays the degree to which the accelerator is opened and the range for fuel-efficient driving. Together with the Eco Driving Indicator that lights up to indicate fuel-efficient operation, it helps raise the driver's awareness of environmentally considerate driving.

• The Welcab Automatic Rotating and Sliding Passenger Seat models (Type A and Type B) have a front passenger seat that rotates electronically and slides outside the vehicle to facilitate boarding and exiting.
• Type B has a motorized wheelchair storage device that makes it easy to load and unload a wheelchair into and out of the trunk.