A new Toyota SUV heavyweight? All-new Crown Signia inches ever closer to Australia

Toyota's all-new flagship SUV is inching closer to Australia, with new Trademark listings appearing for the Crown Signia for our market.

Toyota bills the Crown SUV – the first time a high-riding variant of the brand's most luxurious model – as its flagship SUV, sitting above even the LandCruiser 300 Series in the hierarchy.

And now a mystery trademark filing points to a possible Australian debut for the new SUV. Filed with IP Australia earlier this month, the Trademark would help Toyota secure the name "Crown Signia" for our market.

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It's unclear which part of the Crown family the filing refers to, with Toyota confirming its flagship model will be offered in four body styles – Sedan Type, Crossover Type, Sporty Type and Estate Type.

Most interesting for Australia, though, would be the Estate Type, which is not shaped like a traditional wagon, but instead more like a high-riding SUV.

The Crown will be offered exclusively with hybrid powertrains. That begins with a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor and newly developed nickel-hydrogen battery that Toyota says will produce “class-leading” fuel efficiency.

Higher-grade versions will come with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, electric motor and nickel-hydrogen battery, making for a total system output of about 254kW.

Inside, expect the best of Toyota's technology, including a large 12.3-inch display screen and high-end materials. All models will be underpinned by the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA).

Previously, Toyota has told CarsGuide that there was no immediate plan to introduce the Crown model here, but that it was "continually studying the market for new opportunities".

"Toyota Australia is continually studying the market for new opportunities to offer exciting new products to Australian customers. At this stage however, we have no plans to introduce the Crown model or any of it sub variants to the Australian market."

But the path is at least now clear for an Australian launch, with Toyota acting to secure the nameplates for our market, should it choose to launch here.