Toyota Crown Landscape debuts as Subaru's forbidden fruit.
With its tall ride height and scattered body cladding, the Toyota Crown has a similar feel to the discontinued Subaru Outback sedan. Toyota is now doubling down on it with a more rugged special edition for the Japanese market.
Dubbed the Crown Landscape, it sits about an inch taller than the standard Crown and wears 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires. The extended fender flares are hand painted in a color called Gorilla Black, and the main exterior paint color is called Urban Khaki. Red mud flaps are also standard.
The Landscape comes standard with a tow hitch, but its towing capacity is relatively modest at 1,653 pounds. A roof rack and optional dealer-installed roof basket provide storage for additional outdoor gear and add to the Landscape's adventurous aesthetic. The interior remains largely unchanged, with black seat upholstery, black trim, and "Landscape" badging.
The Landscape is available only with an all-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain built around a 2.4-liter turbo four engine and six-speed automatic transmission. Named Hybrid Max in the U.S., this powertrain has a maximum output of 340 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque.
The Crown Landscape in Japan is priced at 6.85 million yen, equivalent to $45,300 at current exchange rates. This is slightly more expensive than the Crown RS model, which shares the powertrain; the RS starts at 6.7 million yen, equivalent to $44,300 at current exchange rates.
Toyota has not said whether the Crown Landscape will come to the United States. For now, the next Crown variant for this market is the Crown Signia SUV, which is expected to arrive at dealerships this summer.