Toyota Teases 'C' SUV: Mid-Sized and Hybridized

Toyota teases another SUV—and we think we know what it is.

Toyota on Tuesday morning released a teaser for a new model. No, not that shadowy one we saw last week—a different one. A vehicle marked by its sport and utility nature. A vehicle with a name starting with C. The accompanying press release is just two sentences long, and one is "C u ... soon."

We're just going to come right out and say it: we're reasonably sure this is the Crown.

No, not the raised sedan Crown that launched last year. That was one of four Crown models Toyota first revealed in Japan in 2022: the "crossover" sedan, a more traditional sedan, and a pair of crossovers—sorry, SUVs. Was that confusing? Here, we'll clear it up with a photo.

That handsome yellow model is the Crown Estate Type, the larger of the two SUVs. Note the way the thin LED strip of the taillights sits proud of the clear, lower section. Peep the parallel creases both above and below the lights. Most telling, the recessed license plate section and the placement of that C badge are both dead ringers.

For what it's worth, Toyota has previously said the the Crown Estate wouldn't launch—in any market—until 2024. So a reveal this year would get that ball rolling.

If our prediction is true and this is a Crown SUV, Toyota's earlier announcement (see above) give us a few other clues. In terms of size we're talking a 194.1-inch (4,930-millimeter) length, putting this new model within an inch of the existing Highlander. Toyota's own measurements suggest a vehicle about two inches narrow and four inches lower than the Highlander as well.

Then again, maybe despite the similarities between the Estate and this teaser, there could be unique changes for the North American market. For now, we wait for more info from Toyota.

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