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Brand expansion is the name of the modern automotive game, and the Toyota Crown is branching out into the world of crossover-style hatchbacks with the new Toyota Crown Sport.
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The new Crown Sport is closely related to the sixteenth-generation Crown Crossover — known simply as the Crown in the US and as the Crown CrossSport in China — which went on sale globally last year.
While the Crown Crossover is a high-riding sedan, the new Crown Sport is a family-friendly hatchback with crossover-styling cues.
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Although it too rides on the GA-K transverse engine platform, the Crown Sport's exterior looks to be unique and, thanks to its thin C-shaped headlights and silhouette, has more than a passing resemblance to the Ferrari Purosangue.
Measuring 4720mm long, 1880mm wide, 1565mm tall, and a 2770mm wheelbase, the Crown Sport is 210mm shorter, 10mm wider, 10mm taller, and has a 80mm shorter wheelbase than the Crown Crossover.
At launch, the Crown Sport will only be available with the "E-Four" 2.5-litre hybrid drivetrain that drives the front wheels via an e-CVT, while the rear wheels are driven by a separate electric motor.
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No power figures have been released yet, but the same setup in the Crown Crossover is rated at 176kW. The Sport rides on 21-inch alloy wheels, and has rear-wheel steering.
This drivetrain will be joined in the not-too-distant future by a plug-in hybrid option, but there's no mention of the 250kW/543Nm 2.4-litre turbo hybrid system available on the Crown Crossover.
The interior of the Crown Sport seems to be shared with the Crown Crossover, and includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display.
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The Crown Sport is the second member of the expanded sixteenth-generation Crown family to be fully unveiled. It will followed by new Crown Wagon — which is actually a more traditional crossover style — and Crown Sedan models.
While the Crossover, Sport, and Wagon are the first Crown models to be based on a front- and all-wheel drive architecture, the upcoming Crown Sedan will stick to the sub-brand's more traditional front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout.
The Crown Sport, as well as the Crown Crossover, are available through Toyota's Japanese sales network. In addition to this the automaker is setting up a small chain of five dedicated Crown dealerships throughout its homeland. Starting in December, special edition models will be only available through these outlets.
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Pricing for the Crown Sport starts from 5.9 million yen ($62,000). It's unknown if the Crown Sport will be available in markets outside of Japan. Currently the Crown Crossover is sold in North America, China and Japan.
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au