The 2027 Crown Moves Up to Toyota’s Newest Hybrid System

The 2027 Toyota Crown moves its XLE, Limited and Nightshade trims to Toyota’s fifth-generation hybrid system, yet the entry-level sedan costs only $200 more at $41,640.

Those trims also gain paddle shifters, and the update brings a reshaped rear bumper, a new black paint called Inked and more standard equipment on the Limited, which now includes a Panoramic View Monitor, Traffic Jam Assist capability and Digital Key capability. The 340-horsepower Platinum keeps its turbocharged Hybrid MAX powertrain and gains standard red brake calipers and a black window surround.

Toyota detailed the changes in its 2027 Crown release on July 23. The new system, which Toyota calls THS 5, pairs a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with two motor-generators and a separate rear electric motor that drives the rear wheels when needed, and Toyota rates it at an EPA-estimated 40 mpg combined. Toyota says the change delivers "a more spirited and responsive driving experience." It did not publish a horsepower figure for the new setup.

The Platinum remains the performance version, with a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, a six-speed automatic and full-time electronic all-wheel drive making 340 net horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. It also gets adaptive variable suspension, dynamic rear steering, a 10-inch head-up display and a power tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel. For 2027, its bi-tone paint now uses a body-colored trunk with the black roof, offered with Oxygen White, Heavy Metal, Finish Line Red or Bronze Age.

Every 2027 Crown has all-wheel drive, 19-inch or 21-inch wheels, leather-trimmed seats, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a 12.3-inch touchscreen and Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. The Nightshade adds 21-inch matte-black wheels, dark trim and new black badge overlays, and the Limited now comes with full Saddle Tan seats.

2027 Crown	MSRP
XLE Hybrid	$41,640
Nightshade Hybrid	$48,965
Limited Hybrid	$49,720
Platinum Hybrid MAX	$55,190

Prices exclude a $1,295 destination fee, and AutoGuide reported that the 2026 Crown started at $41,440 and topped out at $54,990, which means both ends of the range are up $200. The Nightshade costs $755 less than the Limited while sharing its 21-inch wheels, fixed panoramic roof, JBL audio and Multibeam LED headlights. Only the Limited adds the Panoramic View Monitor, Lane Change Assist and Front Cross-Traffic Alert.

The Crown is built at Toyota’s Tsutsumi Plant in Japan and carries Toyota’s standard 36-month/36,000-mile basic warranty, along with 10-year/150,000-mile coverage on the hybrid battery.

The Toyota Report Take

The Crown needed a reason to be noticed, and moving to Toyota’s newest hybrid for only $200 more is a sensible one, even if Toyota won’t say how much power it adds. The Nightshade is the smart buy in the middle of the range, since it delivers most of the Limited’s luxury features and the bigger wheels for less money. The bigger question is whether any of this reverses a sales slide that has the Crown sedan well behind its own crossover sibling, the Crown Signia.