CROWN HYBRID : Toyota Crown Hybrid, for Those Allergic to Diesel

In early 2008 with pride Toyota Japan announced the 13th generation Crown, their high-end sedan, but this time with a little touch of “green” thanks to a newly design V6 hybrid engine.

Unfortunately fairly unknown overseas, the Toyota Crown is an iconic and well respected car in Japan. A decade before Toyota's launch of their Lexus brand in Japan, the Crown was the only luxury vehicle available in their catalog.



Toyota Crown Hybride, HDTV
(WMV9HD 720p Direct Download "Right click, Save as…")

Design:
With sharper lines and curves and a nice sporty touch, the latest Crown marks a change in Toyota’s designing direction. Commonly owned by the 40+ set, Toyota tried mixing elegance and fluidity, something that many Japanese baby boomers search for in German cars and cruelly missing from Toyota's core line-up. Closer to the Lexus line-up, the Crown, hybrid or not, reflects Toyota’s willingness to change their style and the new Crown is far more elegant than before.

Interior:
Already extremely well equipped and comfortable, the new Crown is again at the top. With high-quality plastics, leather, and a nice overall seat and dashboard design, there's almost no difference in quality when compared with a Lexus IS. Test it yourself and you'll see that many around you may not even notice the difference.

While all Crowns are similar once seated behind the wheel, the Hybrid brings a load of new functions and tweaks available only on this version. The most impressive of these tweaks is without a doubt the car's full LCD dashboard. You'll be amazed every time you turn the key by the UI (User Interface) and its many different animations. We strongly advise you check the above video for a real picture of what we're talking about.

Another impressive improvement is Toyota's spectacular Noise Cancellation System. Microphones and speakers placed throughout the interior nullify most engine and driving noise, providing you with a relaxing driving experience. Toyota is right on track here, less noise means less stress and less fatigue giving you not only a comfortable driving experience but also a huge increase in passive security.

On the Road
Toyota is far from being a newbie and is strong from their experience with the Prius and Lexus. Toyota gave the Crown Hybrid their complete attention and the latest tweaks get the best out it.

The Crown Hybrid isn't a road demon and not even built as one, but with its dual engine (gasoline V6 and electric) you'll be surprised at its responsiveness. After all the Crown hybrid proudly announced a total of 36HP, far enough for a vehicle like this. At 1840kg in total and fitted with eco tires, the Crown Hybrid doesn't like to be fooled around with especially in mountains. Both its “fluffy” handling and state of art Active and Passive security features taken from other Lexus sedans quickly spoil your fun. Once again, an attitude like this defeats the Crown Hybrid's purpose.

The Crown Hybrid was built to transport you and your family in perfect security, quietly and comfortably, in a car designed to save both your wallet and the environment. If you have driven a hybrid car before you know what we're talking about. For those who haven't, imagine a car with an average V6 gasoline engine, but with almost absolute silence and the same range as a diesel car!

As you may have figured out we can't stand diesel vehicles…

Also imagine driving over 800km without the need to refill your tank, and not driving one of those disgraceful diesel engine cars, no sir, but driving over 800km in a nice and soft V6 powered car!

Yes! That's what we're talking about!

Granted we did our best to maintain what many call a "civilized" way of driving while constantly checking the electric motor energy gage to optimize our mileage. We did it in a little less than a week driving on almost every kind of road configuration from highway to city, country road up to mountain road… We returned our press car to Toyota with 70km remaining and went a little over 800km on one tank of gas… Impressive!

Conclusion:
Between the Prius and the Lexus LS600h and LS600hL, Toyota's Crown Hybrid fills the gap and is the perfect balance between economy and comfort! With a great value when it comes to comfort, power, and mileage, the Crown Hybrid could put on the Lexus badge and it wouldn't shock anyone. With its latest and most dynamic design, the Crown is no longer only for the 50+ set, but should attract 35 to 40 year old fathers wishing to drive their family around in style while being kind to the environment.

Posted on 12/03/09 By G-A.G