Just when most of us in the auto industry gave up on trying to distinguish between crossovers and SUVs and decided to just call everything taller than a sedan an SUV, Toyota introduced the Crown for the 2023 model year. An all-wheel-drive hatchback that is definitely not a traditional sedan or SUV, the Crown is a large, luxurious, um, vehicle with a standard hybrid powertrain. And after boosting standard luxury content and adding a Nightshade trim level to the Crown family for 2025, Toyota is making no changes to its tall five-seat hatchback for 2026. Accordingly, pricing doesn’t budge from the 2025 model; the 2026 Crown starts at $42,575 (all prices include $1,135 destination charge).
Related: 2023 Toyota Crown Review: Slick New Flagship Sedan Leaves Us a Bit Crownfused
Release Date and Pricing
The 2026 Toyota Crown will go on sale later this year. Full line pricing is as follows:
- XLE: $42,575
- Limited: $47,085
- Nightshade: $49,900
- Platinum: $56,125
What Are the 2026 Crown’s Trim Levels?
The entry-level 2026 Crown XLE rides on 19-inch wheels and features full LED exterior lighting, automatic high beams, and keyless entry and start. Inside, it establishes a solid luxury foundation for the Crown lineup, with leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control and a power-adjustable driver’s seat. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless device charging and six speakers are standard, as is a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard on the 2026 Crown. This safety suite includes forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert, lane departure steering assist, lane-centering steering and road-sign recognition. Blind spot monitors and rear cross-traffic alert are also standard, and front and rear parking sensors with automatic braking are standard on the Limited and higher trims.
With the XLE so thoroughly equipped, there’s not much to add to the Limited, which gains a panoramic fixed-glass moonroof, 11-speaker JBL sound system, upgraded LED headlights, power adjustability for the front passenger seat and rain-sensing windshield wipers. An Advanced Technology Package available on the Limited trim adds front cross-traffic alert, traffic-jam assist, lane change assist and a 360-degree parking camera. The Nightshade mirrors the Limited’s content but rides on matte-black 21-inch wheels and sports dark exterior badging and trim.
The Platinum adds a few embellishments — a hands-free power trunk, head-up display and Digital Key that allows owners to use their smartphone as the vehicle key — but its primary selling points are an expanded safety suite (it includes the Advanced Technology Package and automated parking) and its more powerful standard powertrain.
What Are the 2026 Crown’s Powertrain Specs and MPG?
Both of the Crown’s available powertrains are hybrid. The XLE, Limited and Nightshade get a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine teamed with a continuously variable automatic transmission and front and rear electric motors; total output is 236 horsepower. Toyota says the system returns the same EPA-rated 42/41/41 mpg city/highway/combined as the 2025 model (official figures for 2026 are not yet available).
The Platinum alone hosts the Hybrid Max powertrain, which upgrades the gas-burning part of the system to a turbocharged 2.4-liter four and supplements it with stouter electric motors. Combined output is 340 hp and 400 pounds-feet of torque, and a six-speed automatic contributes to the Platinum’s sportier feel. The trade-off for that additional power is fuel economy of 29/32/30 mpg.
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