2025 Toyota Crown Signia SUV Gives America A Hybrid Crossover That'll Turn Heads

You can't accuse Toyota of being boring anymore, not with vehicles like the 2025 Crown Signia SUV headed to the U.S. Memorably styled and a gas-electric hybrid as standard, it's the second in Toyota's Crown series to reach the U.S., after the not-quite-a-sedan-but-not-exactly-a-crossover-either Crown made its North American debut with the 2023 model year.

Given American drivers' ongoing love affair with SUVs and crossovers, the Crown Signia SUV is arguably even more suited to tastes here. However, its raised seating for five actually sits on the same TNGA-K platform as the Crown sedan, which Toyota says makes it more refined and car-like to drive.

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Where the Crown sedan is fairly outlandish in its design and proportions, the Crown Signia settles into a more familiar crossover aesthetic. Actually slightly shorter than the lifted sedan, though a couple of inches taller, it has a more delicate grille and a fascia more reminiscent of the latest Prius. That's no bad thing, mind, with the squinting daytime running lights and low-set headlamps leaving the Crown Signia looking premium.

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At the rear, there's no specific "Signia" badging: Toyota says that's intentional, as it's hoping to build Crown as the brand rather than its subcategories.

There'll be just two trim grades: XLE and Limited. The former gets 19-inch machine-finished alloy wheels, 8-way power-adjustable heated front seats with fabric and SofTex finish, and a heated leather steering wheel. There's also a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital driver display, a Qi wireless phone charger, five USB ports, and a six-speaker audio system.

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The 2025 Crown Signia SUV Limited, meanwhile, adds a fixed glass panoramic roof, 21-inch dark gray alloy wheels, and leather seating surfaces. The front seats add ventilation, while the rears get heating. There's an 11-speaker JBL audio system, digital rearview mirror, front and rear parking assistance with auto-brake, rain-sensing wipers, and Digital Key (with subscription).

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The rear 60/40 bench folds flat, and extension panels fold out from the seatbacks making for a 6.5-foot-long cargo space. Both grades get a power liftgate with hands-free operation. An AT&T-powered 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot is available.

Toyota's fourth-generation hybrid drivetrain is standard, with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine combined with two electric motors. All-wheel drive is also standard, with a dedicated rear electric motor supporting up to 80% of the drive force being pushed to the rear wheels. The Crown Signia SUV is rated for up to 2,700 pounds of towing, and Toyota is expecting it to hit 36 mpg on the EPA's combined test cycle.

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There'll be three drive modes — Normal, Eco, and Sport — plus an EV mode for electric-only driving, albeit at low speeds and only for short distances.

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Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard, with pre-collision braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure alerts and steering assist, and lane tracing assist. Adaptive cruise control and Proactive Driving Assist are also included. The Crown Signia SUV will have blind spot warnings with rear cross-traffic alert and Safe Exit Assist as standard; the Limited grade will offer an optional Advanced Technology package with a 360-degree camera, Traffic Jam Assist, Lane Change Assist, and front cross-traffic alerts.

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Unlike the new 2025 Camry, the 2025 Crown Signia SUV will be produced in Toyota's Tsutsumi Plant in Aichi, Japan. It's expected to arrive in the U.S. in the summer of 2024, with pricing to be confirmed closer to release.