2025 Toyota Crown Signia – Drive Experience Review

About 2 years ago Toyota really shocked the industry when they reintroduced the crown name plate to the states after a 50 plus year Hiatus. While the crown sedan was a peculiar all-wheel drive lifted four-door, today we’re actually out here in San Diego, California to drive the newest member of the crown family.

This right here is the first ever 2025 Crown signia. Essentially, what it is is an all-wheel drive hybrid-only midsize SUV that’s designed to be a little bit nicer versus your neighbor’s Toyota Rav 4.

So if you guys have been looking for a family SUV and you don’t necessarily need three rows and you want the best fuel efficiency, how does the brand new 2025 Toyota Crown signia stack up? Stay tuned to find out.

Powertrain and Performance

About the unique styling of the crown signia, I thought I’d pop the hood and show you guys what’s powering this thing. Unlike some competitors where they offer a multitude of different engines to choose from, Toyota decided to keep it pretty simple with the crown signia.

This is essentially the latest version of their hybrid Cy Drive electrified powertrain. It uses a naturally aspirated 2.5 L gasoline four-cylinder with direct injection they call Dynamic Force. It is hooked up with three electric motors, so there’s two at the front and then one at the rear, a separate electric motor giving this vehicle electronic all-wheel drive.

It all goes out through an electronic CVT transmission and Toyota says the gas engine on its own delivers around 188 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. Now when you combine the output of the electric motors, Toyota says the combined figure is 240 horsepower, about 21 more versus what you get in the Rav 4 hybrid and the outgoing Toyota Venza.

This vehicle comes standard with their electronic all-wheel drive system, so there’s no front-wheel drive version. Toyota says that a lot of people looking in this space really require all-wheel drive, so it kind of makes sense for them to make all-wheel drive standard.

Fuel Economy and Towing Capacity

Fuel economy is also an area where Toyota’s hybrid system really impresses. This model, despite which trim level you go for, is going to be rated at 39 in the city and 37 on the highway, about 30 combined.

This has roughly a 142-gallon fuel tank, so you’re looking at just over 500 miles of range on a full tank. That’s excellent fuel efficiency and excellent range, especially if you guys plan to do a lot of road trips. Unlike the Venza, which this vehicle again is replacing, this vehicle can actually tow. If you guys go for the tow package, it’ll max out at 2700 lbs.

The Venza wasn’t even rated to tow, which was a big problem for people looking in this space because the Rav 4 hybrid could tow, but this however could not.

Exterior Styling

In terms of the curb weight figures, the crown signia is heavier than the Rav 4 hybrid and the Venza. As this car sits, it weighs in at just over 4,300 lbs, around 300 lbs heavier versus the Toyota Crown sedan. But let’s go ahead and close up this hood here, which as you can see is held up by a prop rod.

I’m actually kind of surprised it’s held up by a prop rod and not a strut tower brace. Closing the hood there, let’s go ahead and talk about the exterior styling for this Crown signia.

We first had a chance to see this vehicle back in November right before the LA Auto Show where Toyota again was showing off this model, and it really surprised a lot of people because the crown sedan was an interesting offering as it’s a lifted all-wheel drive sedan.

This essentially makes more sense and it’s kind of interesting as well because it’s replacing the Venza, a nameplate that Toyota has now killed twice. But to me, in my eyes, this looks more like a Venza replacement.

If you look at the front fascia, it has the latest corporate design cues here. Because it’s a hybrid, you have kind of this grill with slight openings in it that allow for air to pass through. There’s your front camera system over there along with the radar sensor for the adaptive cruise.

Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is going to be standard. This particular one that I’m showing you is the limited trim painted in oxygen white. The base trim will be The XLE. The Limited is the higher trim, as you can see. It’s got the trendy design language here with the LED daytime running light that’s at the top portion here.

The headlight, the low and high beam, is actually separate from the actual daytime running light itself. It also has an LED turn signal and LED daytime running light, no fog lights however, but you do have some nicely integrated parking sensors.

I also like the color combination of this model here with the gloss black and the lower front splitter with the oxygen white. It’s a really attractive looking vehicle. Let me know in the comment section below what you guys think. This actually kind of reminds me of the new Prius with this kind of c-shape to the LED daytime running light and the turn signal.

Size and Dimensions

Moving around the side, this is where the crown signia gets interesting because unlike the Venza, which this model is taking its place, this is significantly larger versus something like a Rav 4 or even a Venza.

At a total overall length of 194.1 inches with a wheelbase of 112.2 inches, this is a whopping 7 1/2 inches longer than the Venza and its wheelbase is also around 6.3 inches longer. So this to me is actually about closer in length to the original Venza that came out back in 2009 where that vehicle was around 189 inches long.

However, you probably notice this has that long roof characteristic so it looks a lot more like a wagon and that’s probably why the rear windows in the back aren’t tinted because the EPA may classify this more as a wagon as opposed to an SUV.

Wheels and Ground Clearance

Looking at the wheels, you can see on The XLE trim, the base trim, you’ll have a 19-inch wheel as standard alloys. Of course, this limited trim comes with a bigger wheel. It’s a 21-inch wheel wrapped in a 225, I’m sorry, 235x 45 r21 Bridgestone all-season tire. It’s got a kind of multiple spoke design with the graphite gray finish.

You have a 12.1 inch rotor at the front and around an 11.9 inch rotor at the rear. You have an all-independent front suspension as well.

Toyota says this model has around 6.7 inches of ground clearance. Now that’s actually around an inch and a half less ground clearance versus the Venza, so that’s again probably why the rear windows are not tinted from the factory because this is more like a wagon as opposed to an SUV.

Compared to the crown sedan, it has about an extra 8 inches of ground clearance so you’re not going to be taking this off-road, but that’s not the point of a vehicle like this. This is supposed to be a road-going family car. It’s about the same size as a Lexus RX but it comes with a significant discount.

Exterior Features

In terms of the rest of the styling elements, you can see there’s some chrome along the belt and the window trim. You do have a black painted side mirror here with the integrated turn signals. These are power folding and have cameras mounted underneath the mirrors.

All crowns will come with low-profile aerodynamic roof rails and the limited trim will also give you a panoramic glass roof. This is not open to vent air but there is a power retractable shade. It also loses the star view chromatic feature from the Venza where you could frost and defrost it from a push of a button.

Toyota actually told us that the reason why they got rid of it is because the technology that involved that actually took up more headroom space, so they just decided to go with this. I wish the sunroof actually opened though, so I’m sad that it doesn’t actually open to vent air.

Looking at the rest of the profile, you can see the design reminds me a lot of the Corolla cross hybrid or the Corolla cross in general. A really nice design element with the very skinny full LED tail lights with the LED light bar that’s again another trendy design language. You can see it says Crown at the back.

There’s no signia badge anywhere back here, so people might be confused because there’s a crown sedan and a crown SUV station wagon.

You can see there’s other badging here, Toyota’s latest hybrid badging, the beyond zero badge which stands for hybrid like electric vehicle, it says all-wheel drive, and it also shows the trim over there where it says a limited trim. The rear bumper is also gloss black painted and includes nicely integrated parking sensors.

Your reverse light is down here, no visible exhaust tip, but again the design is very clean and elegant. It looks more like a Lexus to me as opposed to an actual Toyota vehicle.

Cargo Space

Looking at the cargo area, this is where that extended length is going to give you some more cargo space compared to the Venza. First of all, the space back here behind the second row of the vehicle is around 25 cubic feet of storage space. 25 is not a lot, that’s actually about 3 cubic feet less by the numbers versus the Venza.

A Rav 4 hybrid is going to have around 10 more cubic feet. However, if you fold down the seats back here which you can do by just pulling this little lever, you can see that’ll fold the seat down.

This is where Toyota says you have just under 67 cubic feet of total cargo space with the panoramic glass roof. It’s around 69 if you guys don’t have the panoramic roof. Toyota says you can fit items that are as long as 6 and 1/2 feet long and that’s again because of the extra length of this vehicle compared to the Venza. This has around 20 more cubic feet of space.

However, compared to a Rav 4, it’s down by about 5 cubic feet total. So it’s definitely an improvement, but if you guys are still looking for maximum cargo space by the numbers, technically the Rav 4 hybrid still has a little bit more maximum cargo space.

Interior Design and Features

Moving on to the interior of this 2025 Crown signia limited, first of all, this color combination is probably how I would do it for myself. This is the oxygen white exterior with the saddle tan leather interior.

If you guys like leather, all the crown trims actually come standard with leather, not the softex material which is Toyota’s fake leather. Even The XLE has leather. The Limited has a slightly upgraded leather and you can see the seats have a really nice upscale look to them.

I love the contrasting stitching, the contrasting piping, and how they’re heated and ventilated. The driver’s seat adjusts in 10 different ways and also has a two-person memory. The passenger seat adjusts in eight different ways, sadly there’s no lumbar adjustment on the passenger seat.

Looking at the door panel material, you can see it has the same kind of saddle tan extending through the portions of the door panel. This upper portion is a soft touch injection molded plastic.

You have a silver painted plastic door handle, your memory seat control is here, it’s nice and padded over here where you’d rest your elbow. There’s some piano black plastic trim along with the kind of bronze trim that you’ll see on the door panel. It’s also splashed onto the dashboard.

The window controls are one touch for all four and this trim, because it has the advanced Tech package, also includes the power folding mirror that’s part of that $1,800 Advanced Tech package.

There’s also hard touch plastic down here, a little bit of storage, and then the limited trims will come with an 11-speaker JBL sound system. So if you guys are an audiophile, you need to go for the limited trim because the XLE won’t have the upgraded JBL sound.

Infotainment and Controls

Getting inside this vehicle, you can see with around 6.7 inches of ground clearance, it has a higher step-in height versus the crown sedan, but it also doesn’t feel quite as high as even a Rav 4 because again the ground clearance is on the low end for an SUV.

As I get in and shut the door, the door has a relatively solid sounding thunk. Remember, this is built off of the TNG AK architecture, something that it shares with other vehicles like the Camry and the Corolla.

Starting the vehicle up, there’s a start stop button right here on the dash. Because it’s a full hybrid, it doesn’t have a traditional starter noise, so what you hear is just the vehicle turning on and all the electronics coming on. It also says ready.

The key fob for the vehicle is also right here. All Crown signias come standard with Toyota’s full entry smart key access system. It even says Toyota crown on the back and has your usual buttons for lock, unlock, remote liftgate, and panic.

If you go for the limited trim, you’ll also get a phone as a key function, digital key, which is part of an option package if you go for this limited trim. Overall, the interior, if you have been inside the crown sedan, is going to look very familiar. But I really like the subtle differences Toyota has done here. First of all, I love the saddle tan interior, it’s also splashed throughout the dash.

In terms of the infotainment displays, all Crown signias will come with a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster, which is slightly customizable, and a 12.3-inch center display that runs on Toyota’s connected Services system, which they introduced a couple of years ago.

It includes wireless over-the-air updates, wireless Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. The screen itself is a pretty good size and I like the kind of integration with the rest of the dash. There’s more of the bronze trim, an actual volume knob which is nice and has a nice high-quality feel to it when I’m turning it.

In terms of the rest of the materials, the upper portion of the dash has a padded soft touch injection molded plastic area. It is hard touch plastic on this upper portion, but in terms of the material quality, I’d say it’s about average.

It definitely doesn’t feel as nice as a Lexus, but it also feels a little bit more special than the Crown sedan and more special than the Toyota Venza. I’m liking the way this system all looks integrated together.

You can see the steering wheel is the newer steering wheel from a lot of Toyota products. I believe it’s the same wheel in the crown sedan as well.

Surprisingly, the steering wheel itself is a manual tilt telescoping adjustment. I was expecting it to be power, but I guess Toyota wanted to save that for Lexus. There’s a sensor that watches your face to make sure you’re paying attention because it has their safety Sense 3.0. There are actual hard buttons on the steering wheel itself.

You have paddles on the wheel to control the ratios for the CVT. The horn sounds pretty non-descript but at least it doesn’t sound puny like in some other Toyota vehicles that I’ve tested.

Climate Control and Camera System

You can see there’s standard dual-zone automatic climate control, which is nice. There are actual hard buttons and toggles, which is good. You also have heated and ventilated seats, which are actual physical buttons, which I like. There’s also an auto mode.

My test car also has the heated steering wheel function, which you can access via a little actual control. The backup camera has a full top-down 360 camera, part of the technology package, which includes front and rear cross traffic braking, front cross traffic alert. That’s another feature that used to be reserved for Lexus.

The resolution and camera quality are really good. It also has front and rear parking sensors and a camera washer in case the camera gets dirty when driving in inclement weather conditions. Overall, this system is pretty much what you’ve seen before in other Toyota products.

It also has some different settings. You can go to an energy flow meter where it shows you where it’s getting its power. You can go into your settings and adjust audio information, display brightness, and ambient lighting, although it doesn’t offer multiple different colors.

It also has embedded GPS which runs off Toyota’s connected cloud services, including over-the-air updates. Most people will probably just go to CarPlay and pull up their phone. I like the way it was all nicely integrated.

Center Console and Features

Down here, instead of piano black plastic, it’s more of a glossy gray plastic, which is better at not showing fingerprints but still does. There’s an area for the wireless phone charging pad. My iPhone 14 Pro Max fits nicely and is reliably wirelessly charging.

There are two USB-C charging ports, a button to give a full 360 perimeter scan, which I think is a little bit useful but I’d prefer something more like what the Germans do, allowing you to squirrel around the vehicle for a better stitched picture. The windshield is heated and you have headlight washers, which I wasn’t expecting to find.

In the center console, there are cup holders. It’s not piano black plastic, it’s a matte finish, but still shows scratches at times. My test car is an early pre-production model. There’s a padded center console area that opens up from the driver’s side and the passenger side, which is nice.

Inside, there’s a USB-C port along with a 12-volt power outlet. Above is a panoramic glass roof, which I wish opened up to vent air, but it does have a retractable shade. I don’t love the bar that creates a very small glass area over the driver and a big bar.

It lets in light, but I would have preferred if Toyota gave it the ability to open to vent air. The seats are very comfortable and supportive. The heated and cooled function works okay. I wish the passenger seat had a lumbar adjustment, but it’s only an 8-way power. The glove compartment is small, going into the dash. The lid is damped but not lined with felt.

Audio System and Interior Quality

If you are an audiophile, I recommend the JBL sound system. It sounds okay, not as good as some of the Lexus Mark Levinson systems, but the interior definitely feels part of the crown family.

It doesn’t quite have the same luxury touches like wood or real metal trimming as in a Lexus, but it does feel better designed and more cohesive versus the latest Venza. Most people will like the overall feel, visibility, and spaciousness from the driver’s side.

Rear Seat and Cargo Features

Moving to the back seat, Toyota wanted to give a reason to choose this over the Venza or the Rav 4. The door opening is a little narrow, which could be an issue for those putting a big car seat back there.

The seat folds down almost flat, and there’s a feature that flips out to create a more flat floor, allowing items as long as 6 and 1/2 feet. The cargo setup provides a nice flat load floor.

Back here, the legroom is around 37 inches, a good amount but not class-leading. The Venza had around 6 inches more legroom. A Rav 4 has about an inch less. This is not class-leading legroom. Taller adults may find the headroom constraining.

The limited trim includes rear seat air vents, two USB-C charging ports, and two storage pockets. The materials back here include soft touch injection molded plastic, padded areas, piano black plastic, and one-level heated seats. The middle passenger has an armrest with two cup holders.

The vehicle is about an inch wider than the Venza, so three people could fit across. Headroom is a little tight due to the vehicle’s height being around 2 inches less than the Venza. It’s a missed opportunity for more space in the second row.

Driving Experience and Performance

If you’ve been looking for a midsize SUV that doesn’t have three rows, Toyota has been wishy-washy in this segment with the Venza. Now with the Crown Signia, it seems here to stay, coming only as a hybrid. The hybrid max powertrain is not available. Let’s see how it does 0 to 60 wise. In sport mode, break torquing, it spins the front wheels, similar to the Rav 4 hybrid.

The car did 0-60 in 7.89 seconds, slower than Toyota’s claim of 7.1 seconds. It’s heavier but has 21 more horsepower than a Rav 4 hybrid. I’ll test it more when I get one back home. Overall, acceleration is enough for most people.

In terms of how the crown signia drives, it’s nice. The steering is quick and direct, but the suspension is super soft. The car changes directions quickly, not sporty but comfortable. The limited trim includes adaptive suspension and rides nicely on 21-inch wheels. It’s quiet, with occasional engine noise when pushing it. Toyota’s hybrid system is smooth, with a well-matched electronic CVT and seamless transition between gas engine and electric power. It can drive on EV power alone at low speeds but has a small 1.2 kWh battery. Not a plug-in hybrid, so don’t expect electric-only range.

City Driving and Fuel Efficiency

Driving in downtown San Diego, the crown signia excels as a hybrid. The engine shuts off, coasting on electric only, getting better gas mileage. A full tank shows 68 miles of range, twice that of many electric vehicles. Toyota hybrids are in high demand for efficiency, doing high 30s to low 40 MPG and 500-600 miles of range on a full tank, great for road trips.

Visibility is good, with a slightly thicker pillar. The rear view is enhanced with a digital camera rearview mirror, standard on the limited trim. It doesn’t have factory-tinted windows at the rear, likely due to EPA classification as a car.

Driver Assistance and Comfort

Driver assistance includes traffic jam assist, steering for you in bumper-to-bumper traffic, maintaining distance, and stopping. The seats are comfortable with high-quality plush leather. The cooled seat works okay, but not cool enough in bright sunlight. Driving around town, the car is easy to drive, not cumbersome or huge despite being longer. Brakes feel good, blending regenerative braking with traditional friction braking. Acceleration is seamless with the engine coming on smoothly.

Comparison with Lexus

Overall, the crown signia drives almost identically to a Lexus NX or RX. The Lexus might be quieter, but the ride quality is similar. The seats are plush, the leather high quality, and visibility excellent. Those considering a Rav 4 hybrid but wanting something nicer, with a bit more space and not wanting to spend extra for a Lexus, will find plenty to like with the Crown signia.

Market Position and Conclusion

Even though the crown nameplate hasn’t been in the states for over 50 years, when Toyota first brought back the crown sedan nearly two years ago, it was perplexing. The crown sedan replaced the Toyota Avalon, which had been in decline. But the crown sedan did well, with around 19,000 units sold last year, outpacing the Avalon in previous years.

After driving the crown signia, essentially a long wagon version of the crown sedan, it seems likely to meet or exceed Toyota’s sales expectations. The crown signia offers technology, space, and luxury features similar to the crown sedan but in a more practical wagon SUV body style.

The rear seat has plenty of space, the interior tech is what you expect from Toyota, and the cargo space is more than the Venza. It’s a tweener vehicle, occupying a white space between Toyota and Lexus vehicles. It’s the same size as a Lexus RX but less expensive.

The hybrid powertrain offers expected performance, with 0 to 60 in the 7-second range, nearly 40 MPG, and over 500 miles of range. Hybrid buyers will find it appealing. The Crown signia will be available in July, built in Japan.

Pricing starts higher than the Venza, with the Crown signia’s base trim, the XLE, starting at around $43,000. The limited trim starts at around $47,900. My test car, with options and destination, totals around $51,670, five grand more than a comparable Venza.

The Crown has more power, luxury, better technology, and a sexier look with a long roof wagon design. Comparing it to a Lexus NX, the NX costs more, and the Lexus RX is around $12,000 more, making the Crown signia a good value for those not needing a luxury badge.

While still a peculiar vehicle in the lineup, the Crown signia occupies a niche, attracting buyers looking for a Rav 4 hybrid with more uniqueness, space, and luxury. I hope you enjoyed this full overview of the brand new first-ever 2025 Toyota Crown signia.