Toyota Motor Corp 7203.T on Friday unveiled four new models for its Crown lineup, including its debut sports utility vehicle (SUV), aimed at reviving the 67-year-old carmaker as Japan sheds its long-standing love relationship. Say goodbye to a 20-year-old brand and a limousine.
The 16th-generation Crown will be sold outside of Japan for the first time, with plans to sell to about 40 countries and regions. The first new model will be a crossover that will go on sale in Japan around this fall.
“The Crown is a symbol of Japan’s prosperity and Japanese pride. It is also a car that brings together Japan’s world-class technology and human resources,” Toyota President Akio Toyoda said in a speech.
“The new crown is full of Japan’s strength.”
Hiroki Nakajima, president of Toyota’s midsize car company, said the models will be launched within the next year and a half.
“Customers from all over the world now have the opportunity to drive this historic Japanese nameplate with passion, pride and progress,” said Akio Toyoda.
The four new models are sedan, SUV, station wagon, and a crossover that combines sedan and SUV. The crossover will be offered as a hybrid, while powertrains for other models have yet to be determined.
Debuting in 1955, the Crown was the first passenger car to be designed and built entirely in Japan, marking a pivotal moment in Japan’s rise as a global automotive powerhouse.
It was also the first car Toyota exported to the United States in 1958. Two years later, Toyota was forced to stop exporting because the Crown’s engine couldn’t reach the speeds needed on U.S. highways.
Toyota sold more than 200,000 sedans during Japan’s economic boom in 1990, but annual domestic sales have dwindled to 21,000 last year.
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