Toyota is adding a crossover SUV variant to its upscale Crown vehicle, starting with the 2025 model year. It will be available sometime in 2024.

The move should come as no surprise to anyone as the number of sedan shoppers has dwindled over recent years as drivers have become aware of the merits of SUVs.

Toyota has been selling Crown vehicles for around for nearly 70 years, but they have not been available in North America for about the past 50 years. The Toyota Crown was actually the first Japanese car available in America, when it was introduced on these shores in 1958. In 2023, Toyota reintroduced the nameplate in North America, starting with the full-size, premium sedan, which replaced the discontinued Avalon sedan.

With the Crown Signia, buyers will get a crossover SUV with a low roofline, something akin of Audi’s Allroad variants, which are available on the A4 and A6, or Volvo’s Cross Country variants, which are available on the V60 and V90.

The Crown Signia comes standard with a hybrid powertrain with 243 hp and on-demand all-wheel drive, and is capable of towing up to 2,700 pounds. Fuel consumption is rated at 6.5L/100 km city-highway combined, Toyota Canada said in a Nov. 14 news release.

On the outside, the Crown Signia comes with 21-inch wheels and what the company calls a Toyota Hammerhead front end.

When rear seats are folded flat, there’s a 6.5-foot-long cargo area.

On the inside, drivers will find a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen, a large, full-colour driver’s display, and a vertical wireless charger and storage, along with textured leather-trimmed seating, soft touch panels on doors and dashboard, and upscale finishes such as bronze-finished trim.

Learn more on the Toyota Canada website.