First Drive: 2025 Toyota Crown Signia Hybrid SUV Shines

This crowning achievement improves on the sedan in several significant ways

By Jeff S. Bartlett

Updated June 6, 2024

Toyota expands its sport/utility portfolio by reimagining the Crown sedan into a new version dubbed Crown Signia. This fresh model rides on the same TNGA-K platform as the Crown, and many other current Toyota models, and it shares the hybrid four-cylinder powertrain and dashboard design. Where it differs from the Crown sedan is in its more mainstream appearance and functional shape; Its raised roof and conventional hatchback split the difference between a car and an SUV, creating what could be considered a station wagon.

In this article

Toyota Crown Signia: CR’s Take What We Like What We Don’t Like What We’ll Keep an Eye On Safety and Driver Assistance Systems

In short: It’s the solution for shoppers drawn to the Crown’s promise but wish it were a bit more accommodating and practical. Or approached from a different angle, it’s a stylish alternative to a midsized SUV, like the Toyota Highlander, for those buyers who don’t need a third-row seat.

The Crown moniker dates back almost 70 years, making it the automaker’s longest-running model name. While absent from the U.S. market for about half a century, it has been applied to a series of regal sedans overseas for decades. Now the automaker is redefining “Crown” by applying it to a growing line of models that combine elevated ground clearance, standard hybrid powertrain, and all-wheel drive.

The result is a unique mashup of vehicles and concepts, reminding us a bit of the original, genre-twisting Venza. Consequently, it’s hard to position the Crown Signia against direct rivals. There isn’t anything quite like it.

The main competition may well be other Toyotas and two-row midsized SUVs, like the Nissan Murano, Subaru Outback, and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport.

The Crown Signia is available in XLE ($43,590) and Limited ($47,990) trims. Options include a single Technology package ($1,865) and three premium paint colors ($425).

The Toyota Crown Signia will be built at the Tsutsumi Plant in Aichi, Japan, and it goes on sale in the summer of 2024.

Based on our initial impressions, it makes some notable improvements over the Crown, while sharing some criticisms. In our review below, many facets are positioned in the “What We’ll Keep an Eye On” section because the feedback on those attributes is mixed and therefore doesn’t neatly fall into the “We Like” or “We Don’t Like” buckets. Plus, we’ll dig deeper when we buy one to test.

If you’re a Consumer Reports member, our initial expert assessment of the Crown Signia is available to you below. Once we purchase our own model and complete 2,000 break-in miles, we’ll put the Crown Signia through more than 50 tests at the CR Auto Test Center, including empirical measurements of acceleration, braking, handling, car-seat fit, and usability. CR members will have access to the full road-test results as soon as they’re available.

What we rented: Toyota Crown Signia Limited
Powertrain: 240-hp, 2.5-liter hybrid four-cylinder engine; electronic continuously variable transmission; all-wheel drive
MSRP: $47,990
Destination fee: $1,395
Total cost: $49,385

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