Anthony FongaroThe Crown Nightshade brings big style and luxury to the Toyota range.
Up until a few years ago, Toyota had the full-size Avalon. This was a large sedan with a V6 and Lexus-like quality. Toyota decided to bring the Crown name back to the United States in an interesting way. Instead of bringing the regular Crown sedan from Japan with rear-wheel drive and a low-slung body, Toyota introduced a “crossover-sedan” style with standard AWD and a raised ride height. Unlike the old Avalon, the Crown is hybrid-only. All trims except the top Platinum receive a naturally aspirated hybrid inline-four with a CVT, while the Platinum gets a turbocharged hybrid inline-four with a traditional automatic. The model we tested this week was the Crown Nightshade. The Nightshade is based on the Limited trim but only comes in gray or black. Some say the Crown is almost Lexus-like, but is the Crown Nightshade trim worth $50,000?
Toyota Crown Nightshade Luxury Looks
Up front, quad-beam LED headlights are flanked by a multi-slotted upper grille and a diamond-patterned lower grille. Since the Crown Nightshade only comes in gray or black, this vehicle wore Storm Cloud Gray paint along with 21-inch satin black multi-spoke wheels. Toyota added black cladding around the sills, giving the Crown a lifted SUV-like look similar to rival Subaru. Black door handles, mirrors, and trim adorn the Nightshade. Limited and higher trims get a panoramic roof that doesn’t vent but does provide plenty of light. The oddly proportioned rear glass tapers too abruptly, giving the back of the Crown a somewhat disjointed look. Full LED lighting at the rear, including a light bar across the trunk, complements the headlights. “Crown” is spelled out in black, along with HEV, Toyota, AWD, and Limited badges. Integrated parking sensors are included, but the Crown Nightshade does not come with a 360-degree camera, and the trunk is not power-operated. If this doesn’t provide enough space, Toyota also offers the wagon-like Crown Signia, which looks better than the regular Crown thanks to more cohesive proportions.
Inside, it’s no surprise that the Crown Nightshade comes with a black interior. Faux-leather seats are comfortable and feature both heating and ventilation. Rose-gold accents adorn the cabin, including the door pulls. Thanks to the added ride height, the Crown offers a higher seating position. In front of the driver is a multifunction steering wheel with controls for adaptive cruise control and media. All Crowns come standard with a fully digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Quick commands are located on the left side of the screen, and the system is generally quick and responsive. Below the infotainment screen are rows of physical buttons for climate control, heated and ventilated seats, and the heated steering wheel. It’s good that Toyota continues to separate these controls for ease of use. Beneath that is a cupholder-style wireless phone charger. Toyota’s typical hybrid shifter is present, offering Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and a B mode that increases regenerative braking. Four drive modes are available: Eco, Normal, Sport, and Custom.
Additional buttons on the center console control brake hold and an EV mode for limited low-speed electric driving. Door bins and the center console offer good storage space, and Toyota provides two USB-C ports up front. Build quality is high and just a step behind Lexus. Rear passengers get a good amount of legroom and headroom, along with heated seats. This Crown also came equipped with an 11-speaker JBL sound system, which sounds quite good. Overall, the interior is pleasant and very Lexus-like.
Powering the Crown is a 2.5-liter hybrid inline-four producing 236 horsepower and 153 pound-feet of torque from the gas engine, paired with an e-CVT and AWD. Zero to 60 mph comes in at around 7 seconds. The hybrid system doesn’t feel slow, though the CVT can get loud under hard acceleration. Once on the move, the Crown is very comfortable, offering good AWD traction and fuel economy of around 32 mpg, even while using the heat, heated seats, and heated steering wheel. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 includes features such as cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring. While driving, I preferred keeping the drive mode in Normal, using B mode around town, and D on the highway.
Is it worth $50,000
Pricing for the 2026 Toyota Crown starts at $41,000 for the XLE, $46,000 for the Limited, $50,000 for the Nightshade, and $54,000 for the Platinum. The sweet spot in the lineup is the Limited. With standard all-wheel drive, a hybrid powertrain, and a strong list of safety features, the Crown is a compelling option. While the styling and proportions may be divisive, the Crown is a rare vehicle that delivers Lexus-like qualities under a Toyota badge.
I still think I would just go with a Lexus. Unless you are going for “Stealth Wealth” the Crown is overpriced for what you can get from other luxury brands.
Dissapointed that the US never got the real Toyota Crown which was like the Rolls-Royce of Japan.