MororTrend editor Joe Berry takes a look at the new Crown Signia SUV
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00:00 The Crown is Toyota's oldest nameplate and aside from the super special century,
00:04 it's their most prestigious. The Crown has been around since 1955 and in fact the first Toyota
00:10 sold on the US shores back in 1958 was a Crown. Now in 2023 Toyota brought the Crown nameplate
00:18 back to the US with this sedan crossover literally called the Toyota Crown and now we have a new one,
00:25 a second Crown model entering this fledgling US lineup, the SUV, the Signia.
00:32 That name is obviously based on the term insignia, a nod to the Crown's importance in the Toyota
00:43 story and the Signia is an important addition to Toyota's burgeoning US hybrid lineup. But what is
00:50 it? It's a two-row hybrid crossover SUV that's going to have 243 horsepower from its two and a
00:57 half litre four-cylinder engine mated with the two electric motors, one of which is dedicated solely
01:04 to the rear axle to provide torque and power when the all-wheel drive kicks in. Overall the design
01:10 is unmistakably Toyota, note the trademark Toyota hammerhead front fascia as an example,
01:16 but there's a sense of adventure to some of the lines which tell you that Toyota is thinking
01:21 differently about the Crown than they are with their other models. Crown has always been a byword
01:27 for quality and sophistication and that ethos is on clear display on the inside,
01:32 where more bold choices have been made with the fit and finish of the Signia's interior.
01:37 With its low center of gravity and punchy inline six, the Crown sedan drove very impressively.
01:46 It'll be interesting to see if Toyota can do it again with the Insignia.