Officially revealed Toyota Crown SUV because Sedans are So Yesterday

The Crown Kluger is basically a fancier Highlander.

You can visit Toyota’s official Chinese website and you might be surprised to find the Highlander still in its third-generation despite the fact that the US has the fourth-generation model since 2019. The latest version of the SUV-sized midsize SUV will finally make its debut in China at the Auto Shanghai 2021. However, it comes with a luxurious twist.

Yes, that’s the Crown logo displayed on a Highlander. The FAW-local joint venture will be able to offer an upgraded version of the regular Toyota Highlander. The Crown Kluger is the full name of the three-row SUV. It will be available only in China and will serve as an upscale alternative to standard Highlander.

Toyota follows a similar strategy with its smaller RAV4 which is sold by FAW. A slightly different-looking Wildlander version is also available from GAC. Volkswagen has the ID.6X/ID.6 Crozz, which was also displayed at Auto Shanghai as part of an agreement with its Chinese SAIC and FAW partners.

Toyota will not reveal the exact specifications of the Crown-badged SUV. However, it does mention that the hybrid powertrain is shared with the standard Highlander. The homologation of the plushier SUV was done by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. It was slightly longer and higher than the US-spec model, but had the same width and length.

MIIT shared the document that revealed the Crown Kluger’s hybrid 2.5-liter gasoline engine that produces 189 horsepower. This makes it less powerful than the European and North American versions, which produce a combined 243 horsepower. The CN-spec model is therefore equipped with a different electrified configuration. The local model is just under 2,000 kg (4,409 lb) and has 18-inch wheels.

China will soon be selling both the standard Highlander and the fancier Crown Kluger sibling by mid-2021.