Toyota Crown Reviews

A game-changing ute from Toyota might be back on the cards, according to the latest reports out of the United States. The ute rumoured to be in the works is based on the best-selling RAV4 small SUV, putting it up against the hugely popular Ford Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz in the US. This new ute has been considered by Toyota for some time now, with several senior executives hinting at its development. A lifestyle concept ute was unveiled from the brand in 2023, which was said to be hybrid-powered. The most recent news indicated it remains a while away from entering production, with the brand waiting for the right moment to strike in the segment. Timing has been a key theme from executive comments on the ute, with other global factors such as trade deals and tariffs also impacting its viability. It now appears the right time might be approaching, as Toyota’s North American Chief Executive Officer Tetsuo Ogawa provided more details on the ute. This included the RAV4 forming the basis for it. “But for the compact truck? Definitely, we have such demand,” Ogawa said in an interview with Auto News. “A RAV4-based pickup is an opportunity for us, and the dealers are waiting. “Maybe they say we need today or tomorrow, but it takes time.”This latest update confirms the ute is on the radar and even potentially in development, but it looks to still be several years away from becoming official. It also confirms the ute would be built on the RAV4’s monocoque chassis, differing from other Toyota utes such as the HiLux built on a ladder frame. It remains too far away to ponder an Australian future for it. Expect it to be primarily built in left-hand drive given North America is the target market at this stage.

The car landscape has dramatically changed in the past 10 years, with new brands entering the fray and dynamic market conditions shifting buyer wants.Data from 2016 shows how different the cars were captivating the attention of Aussies only a decade ago.The Toyota HiLux led the way, and the Ford Ranger was not far behind, but there was a theme of hatchbacks dominating the other top places. The Toyota Corolla took out second place, while the Hyundai i30 was in third and the Mazda3 sat in fifth. Toyota continued to feature down the list with the Camry sedan, followed by the Australian built Holden Commodore. Further down list, the SUV revolution can be seen to take shape in Australia, starting with the Mazda CX-5. After the Mitsubishi Triton ute in ninth place, there were three SUVs in the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-3.The best-selling brands in 2016 has changed a lot compared to today. Toyota is still parked up at the top of the charts, but several big names have now been replaced by Chinese carmakers.Mazda and Hyundai occupied second and third, while Holden secured fourth. The Japanese duo of Mitsubishi and Nissan followed next, with Volkswagen being the only European brand in the top 10 after that. Subaru came ninth in the standings, with Kia finishing in 10th, highlighting the brand’s rapid development in Australia. Top selling cars 2016 Top selling brands 2016 In 2021, there were clear changes to the market, but also some consistent themes.The HiLux and Ranger duopoly was in full swing at the top of the standings, with Toyota’s ute still edging Ford’s.Third position showed SUVs were taking over as the RAV4 picked up a huge chunk of sales.There were still examples of a past market, with the i30 and the Toyota Corolla hatches sandwiching the D-Max ute.Further down, SUVs increase their presence further, with the Mazda CX-5, Toyota Prado and MG ZS all making up the top 10, along with the Triton ute. Pure internal combustion power remained a dominant player, with best-sellers such as the RAV4 and Corolla still yet to make its full hybrid transition. Top selling cars 2021 Toyota was still on top as a brand in Australia, while Mazda and Hyundai continued their holding in the top three. Ford was hot on the heels of Hyundai, followed by Kia which had surged up the sales charts in five years to claim a spot in the top five. Mitsubishi and Nissan still occupied high places in the standings as did Volkswagen. The big shift was the appearance of the only Chinese brand in the top 10, in MG. This foreshadowed what we see today where BYD is fast approaching a potential top-two finish in Australia.Subaru picked up a 10th place finish. Top selling brands 2021 Fast forward to 2026, and only three top 10 sellers from 2016 remain. The Ranger and HiLux continue their battle at the top of the standings, but they are in decline.Some unfamiliar names a few years ago are emerging as top choices for Aussie motorists.The Chery Tiggo 4 small SUV has emerged as the best-selling SUV in 2026 to date.Hyundai's Kona is next on the list followed by the D-Max Ute.Mitsubishi's Outlander large SUV is sitting sixth, while the long-awaited launch of the new Toyota RAV4 has resulted in a burst of sales for the popular family car.The Mazda CX-5 remains a regular feature at the top of the sales charts, with GWM's Haval Jolion sitting in ninth currently.Rounding out the top 10 is Ford Everest.This data only represents the first four months of the year, but it does show the general trends of where the market is headed.Top selling cars 2026 (up to April)Top selling brands 2026 (up to April)There are no surprises in the top four best-selling brands so far, with Toyota out in front, followed by Mazda, Kia and Ford.A monster month from BYD has pushed the Chinese giant brand into fifth, overtaking Hyundai. This is despite the brand not having a single car in the top 10 best sellers.The final four highlight the success of Chinese brands in Australia as GWM, Chery and MG are all present, along with Mitsubishi.Former mainstays Nissan, Subaru and Volkswagen are gone, and Holden has closed up shop completely.

The cheapest LandCruiser will start at the equivalent of just $40,000, with pricing for the incoming LandCruiser FJ being reported in Japan.That makes it the cheapest LandCruiser in the family by some margin, and Toyota clearly expects it to make a splash, with Thailand manufacturing almost doubling, and production expected to expand to India.That's the latest from Japanese media, where Creative 311 has the scoop on the FJ's price tag in Japan, which is expected to be officially confirmed on May 15.In Japan, the FJ will start at around $4.5m yen, which converts to just under $40,000. That kind of pricing would position the FJ below its Chinese rivals in the space, including the GWM Tank 300 ($48,990).But... there is a sizable catch. The LandCruiser FJ isn't confirmed for our market, where Toyota executives have suggested the model's 2.7-litre petrol engine wouldn't meet its regulation standards, specifically the fact it meets Euro 5 standards.“The LandCruiser name in Australia would be very appealing, but the hardcore reality we are facing in our country… variable regulations, new criterias, new vehicle efficiency standards,” the brand's then VP of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley has previously told us.“We have to look very carefully at our product portfolio. What do we think we’re going to need? What are we going to sell in numbers? What do customers want and need?"Clearly aimed at tackling rough stuff on a budget, the FJ is equipped with a proper part-time 4WD system and a rear diff lock as standard kit. Also interesting is that, in Japan, only the paint colour is an option, with the Toyota otherwise delivered in a standard trim level.Would the LandCruiser FJ work in Australia as a cut-price off-road option?

Toyota's new CEO says the world's biggest automotive brand would engage in some big changes as it battles shrinking profits in a tough global economy.Chief Executive Officer of Toyota, Kenta Kon, said while Toyota had strong results thanks to “marketing efforts” in several key markets, including the USA where it had a record sales result, the company was expecting operating income to continue to decline due to the conflict in the Middle East and ongoing challenges with US tariffs.Importantly,  Kon earmarked several big areas of change. One is to reduce the amount of time it was taking the brand to deliver new hybrid models, something Australian buyers of the new-generation RAV4 (or even the previous RAV4 during production shortages of COVID) will be familiar with.“Our hybrid customers have been waiting a long time to receive delivery, so we must deliver to these customers more reliably. That’s the first thing we must achieve, because as a manufacturer, that is our biggest mission,” Kon said at a press conference announcing its 2025 full year financial results.Currently, the new RAV4 has a three-to-six month waiting period, depending on model grade.Toyota Australia's Vice President of Sales Marketing and Franchise Operations, John Pappas, recently told CarsGuide the increase in complexity for the new model range across 2WD, AWD, and now plug-in hybrid variants would have an impact.As a result of these delays, plus a dip in supply between the runout of the old model and launch of the new version, Toyota’s Australian sales dropped 19.3 per cent in March, marking an overall drop of 23 per cent down for the quarter year-on-year.Toyota’s long-touted multi-pathway strategy, which has seen the Japanese auto giant move slowly on its roll-out of battery electric vehicles, is something Kenta Kon will be looking to “accelerate” as part of a new mission to “re-organise our production models".This could mark a big change for the company. As to what Kon means, he said while Toyota was “fortunate” to be in a financial position to keep providing its buyers the “convenience” of hybrids, going forward the brand will need to undertake a “review of the model mix".“As we pursue along the line of multi-pathway, that will naturally increase the number of models and that means an increase in the number of parts and specifications which will make this even more complex for customers” Kon said.“So I believe that if we can review that complexity, that would have a major impact.”However, responding to a question on globally plateauing EV demand, Kon said the company’s strategy would still include increased battery electric sales.“Whatever the cars that our customers want, we would like to deliver - if our customers want BEVs we will deliver them good BEVs and that will remain the fundamental part of our strategy,” he said.Adding to Kon’s comments, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Toyota, Yoichi Miyazaki, said the company had to “adjust the sales numbers to actual demand and in areas where BEVs will grow".Interestingly, he noted the brand would continue to lean into its joint-venture operations for fully electric sales success.Miyazaki noted China, which is already a “mainstream market to begin with for BEVs” was already a success story for Toyota off the back of its FAW and GAC joint-venture models like the bZ3X.He also said Toyota’s strategy to roll out both its own and joint-developed models with Suzuki will continue in Europe. Interestingly, he also earmarked the USA as having strong potential for battery electric growth.Miyazaki also declared one thing Toyota won’t do as part of its strategy going forward, despite the need to repair its profits.“There was a time when we only pursued volumes. We will never go back to that, and each of our employees understand that,” he said.Stay tuned to see what impacts Toyota's global strategic changes will have on the local product offering, as Australia's new emissions laws for passenger vehicles inevitably have an impact on the brand's line-up.

Toyota is the king of hybrids, and it could be about to install petrol-electric grunt in its small but mighty hot hatch.

Toyota has slashed the price on some of its Tundra full-size pick-up models in Australia. The brand is offering its Tundra units from the 2025 model year without on-road costs and as well as a $10,000 cashback offer. Before on-road costs pricing for the Tundra starts from $155,900, with the top grade variant costing $172,990, so this deal represents a sizeable drop. The deal lasts until the 30th of June this year. The brand is looking to clear out stock of its older Tundra units, with the 2026 Tundra model now in showrooms. Ford is also offering a stock-clearing deal on its rival F-150 pick-up. Its 2024 model year stock is available from $115,000 (drive-away), which essentially cuts out the on-road costs.The Tundra has had a tough battle up against its rivals such as the F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Ram pick-ups, trailing all three in the sales charts. This latest price cut is part of a broader plan from the brand to increase its competitiveness in the market. The Tundra has been subject to several big advertising campaigns in the past few months, and the brand told CarsGuide last month it remained confident of making inroads in the segment. “The Tundra is a great truck. I get a lot of feedback from reviewers or customers about the performance of the vehicle,” Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales and Marketing John Pappas said.  “The fact is that we need to get the awareness out there, and that's really our prime motive right now. And then we're very confident that once people are aware of it and they test drive it, then we're confident that it will be successful.”The Tundra has a 3.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and electric motor as part of a plugless hybrid set-up, producing 326kW and 790Nm. This is a similar set-up to the one introduced on the recently-unveiled hybrid LandCruiser.  

Electric cars are finally having their moment. As petrol and diesel prices soar, it appears everyone on the fence about buying an electric vehicle (EV) have taken the plunge.Having steadily hovered around the 10 per cent total market share for the past 18 months, EVs accounted for more than 16 per cent in April. That means approximately one-in-six cars sold last month were battery-powered.But perhaps even more interesting than just the total number of EVs sold, was who was selling them. The days of Tesla dominating the electric market appear to be over, with several new names emerging as popular options for Australians.Here are five of the most in-demand EVs in 2026.BYD Sealion 7For all the hype around BYD’s Shark 6 ute and cut-price Atto 1, the real star for the brand is its mid-size SUV. The Sealion 7 isn’t just a popular EV, it’s also one of the most popular SUVs on the market and was the seventh best-selling vehicle in April.Sales are up 342.2% year-to-date, but it isn’t just a sudden surge in the wake of the fuel crisis. The Sealion 7 has been a popular choice almost since it arrived. It was the eighth most popular SUV in its segment in 2025, behind some of the biggest names in the market - Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, Kia Sportage and Subaru Forester.So regardless of what happens with fuel prices in the coming months, the Sealion 7 looks set to remain a popular choice for anyone looking for a mid-size SUV, electric or otherwise.Geely EX5 If there is a biggest winner of the current surge in EV sales it is the Geely’s EX5. Sales are up 415.4% year-to-date, peaking with 1202 in April alone. That’s up from an average of just 328 sales per month in 2025 and its jump demonstrates that it is genuine demand in EVs, not simply availability, that is driving this current boom. The EX5 was already one of the most affordable EVs on the market, starting at just $41,990, so if it was simply price and choice creating this sales increase in electric options there’s no reason it wouldn’t have started last year.Instead, Geely is taking advantage of its appealing price and benefiting as Australian buyers look for a way to beat the pain at the pump.Zeekr 7X While it doesn’t have the sheer volume of others on this list, selling only 2698 examples so far in 2026, the 7X is proving to be consistently popular while growing in sales.It’s not surprising that it isn’t selling in bigger volumes like the BYD and Geely, as it is positioned as a more premium offering with a starting price of $57,900  that stretches to $72,900 for the flagship Performance AWD model.But averaging nearly 675 sales per month to start 2026, with a spike of 973 sales in April, it’s clear that the 7X is an EV with a growing following.Kia EV3 You may have noticed a theme with the previously mentioned models, as the newer Chinese brands have claimed the role of EV leaders. But one of the established brands holding its own is Kia.Not all of its EVs are proving a sales hit, with the larger EV6 and EV9 still returning relatively modest sales numbers, but the smaller EV3 is doing well. Sales are up 150.2 per cent year-to-date, helping it become the most popular small electric SUV in its price range.The EV3 has garnered critical acclaim and has been slowly building a customer base, likely appealing to those looking to make the electric switch with a brand they know and trust.Sales of the larger EV5 are also up in 2026, but nowhere near to the same level, increasing only 28.7 per cent as it competes directly against the Sealion 7, EX5 and even the 7X.Toyota bZ4XCompared to the other cars on this list the total 2026 sales of just 1323 looks a bit poor, but when you consider how the bZ4X has performed previously it is having a breakout moment.Toyota’s first EV averaged less than 87 sales per month in 2025 but in 2026 it is averaging 330 sales per month so far; peaking at 483 sales in April.This is likely thanks to a renewed marketing push from Toyota, the RAV4 changeover and the high petrol prices leading Australian buyers to give it another look. How long this continues remains to be seen, but given the struggle Toyota has had with this model so far, this is a definite bright spot for the bZ4X.

I have been to three Chinese motor shows in a row, and all three times have signalled a shift in the calibre of the cars, which are increasingly setting a global agenda.The first time, I wrote of the sheer scale on display from some of the biggest brands and the amount of interest around carmakers BYD, GWM and Nio compared to the stands of Nissan, Toyota and Honda.The Shanghai Motor Show a year later was full of ambitious new products and a lack of fear to try new things on a global stage.But this year’s Beijing Motor Show marked yet another, unexpected shift, which should continue to strike fear into popular incumbents used to topping charts in regions around the world.This time, things were somewhat scaled back. Gone were the weird and whacky Chinese domestic market specials. The stands were slick, professional and showcased a handful of global-market ready models.Above all, the flavour was international. If the previous two motor shows were experimental and expansion themed, respectively the 2026 Beijing Motor Show was an announcement.Chinese automakers aren’t just for China any more. They have their sights well and truly set at topping the charts around the world.The Geely Group stand was happy to show some older cars, such as the Monjaro SUV and Preface sedan, but also ones that were fully prepared for export, with a variety of fresh hybrid powertrains designed to please international buyers and markets with different emissions settings and charging infrastructure.Even the auto giant’s primary reveal was relatively tame, a concept sedan which previewed its new design language but the message was clear - this is our new unified design for the world, not just for China, and it is powertrain agnostic. You’ll know a Geely when you see it, and it will have exactly what you want under the bonnet.The same could be said for most of the other stands I had time to visit. GAC showed off its global market off-road SUV alongside an array of export-ready models, but it was the more obscure once-domestic-only marques like the luxury HongQi and the off-road-focused 212 which had taken a massive step up in terms of the international allure of their stands.Another very telling shift was the renewed interest in brands like Nissan and Toyota. Not so much the globally-recognised versions of these brands, mind you, but their Chinese joint-venture incarnations, which have created quite some hype in the preceding months in markets outside of China.Nissan’s stand went from a sad handful of dated sedan models in previous years, to absolutely heaving with interest thanks to its Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid ute and just-revealed Terrano SUV.Nissan has unapologetically re-oriented toward its joint-venture with Dongfeng in China for these models, declaring it has to lean on “China Speed” to reignite interest in its otherwise ailing global footprint.Toyota, meanwhile, showed a stand primarily of joint-venture models with BYD and GAC, many of which, it seems, may start to be exported as more of the world seeks a more electrified line-up than the Japanese juggernaut has previously been keen to offer.With context, this shift makes a lot of sense. Domestically, Chinese automakers have been engaged in a brutal price war, as Beijing’s subsidies shift between production of ‘New Energy’ models to the actual sales pipeline, as the government seeks to rapidly get combustion vehicles off the road.The result has seen the biggest players, like BYD, able to use their scale to sell models at extremely sharp prices in order to squeeze rivals on volume, all seemingly with the objective of being one of the last ones standing at any cost. It has seen a massive contraction in the number of automakers able to stay afloat in China, and with a market quickly reaching a point of ‘New Energy’ saturation, many, including BYD, have sought the refuge and higher margins of export markets like Australia.As it turns out, many of these markets have been ripe for the taking, particularly ones with low barriers to entry, incumbent market leaders not used to such competition, and little to no tariffs.It’s no wonder then, that as I walked around the Beijing Motor Show, I very much felt like every automaker was trying to sell me a car, rather than the local standing next to me.

Toyota has confirmed it will introduce a first-ever fully-electric Yaris hatch alongside the hybrid and petrol versions. Toyota’s European Vice President of Strategy and Marketing Andrea Carlucci said in an overseas interview the brand will look to embrace electrification in the segment.“If electrification is the direction, I think we cannot avoid having a fully electrified version ,” Carlucci told Auto Express.“The ideal path is to offer a platform where we have multi-energy options, so delivering different powertrains that are the right solution for every customer. “Let me put it to you this way: a multi-energy approach isn’t just one solution. It has to be the solution.”There is no official news yet on whether we will see the electric Yaris in Australia, but it could be a welcome addition for the brand. Toyota currently has only one all-electric vehicle on sale, which is the bZ4X, while an electric HiLux is also on the way. An electric Yaris gives Toyota a competitor in the growing electric hatch segment, and would be expected to be the brand’s cheapest EV. It would take on the likes of the recently-unveiled Volkswagen ID. Polo,  which could be on the cards for Australia, as well as Chinese rivals such as the BYD Atto 1.Toyota Australia said it was not able to confirm the arrival of the electric Yaris yet. Starting at under $30,000, the current hybrid-only Yaris is the cheapest car for Toyota in Australia, but any electric version is expected to be a decent step up in price.One potential roadblock for the Yaris EV getting to Australia is where it will be sourced.It will first launch in Europe and will likely be sourced from Toyota's factory in France. European budget car imports to Australia are often prohibitive due to high costs of shipment and other applicable tariffsThe Yaris currently available in Australia is sourced from Japan, which usually does not incur the same shipping costs as from Europe, meaning it can be offered at an affordable price point. Any new Yaris is not expected until 2027, when the new-generation hybrid will launch, with the electric version potentially not arriving until 2028.

Year-to-date registration data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) show ‘electrified’ passenger and light commercial vehicles have crossed a significant tipping point to become a more popular choice than traditional diesel and purely petrol-powered internal combustion engine (ICE) options in Australia.To the end of April, sales of battery electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles stood at 50,976 units, a 79.2 per cent increase on the same four-month period in 2025 (28,448 units).At the same time, sales of ICE vehicles (including light commercials but not heavy trucks) have dropped 35.9 per cent from 64,991 in 2025 to 47,813 units this year.Tellingly, sales of pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have grown by just over 100 per cent, with key players BYD up 110.8 per cent (25,243 vs 11,974) and Tesla 49.9 per cent year-on-year (8485 vs 5660).Individual (higher volume) stand-out BEV models include the BYD Sealion 7 and Dolphin, Geely EX5, Kia EV3, Tesla Model Y and Toyota bZ4X.And when it comes to hybrids, thanks to better supply of the new-generation version, the ever-popular Toyota RAV4 has come up to its more usual monthly sales rate and has been joined by its big-brother LandCruiser 300 Hybrid.Add in other relatively recent hybrid arrivals like the Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid joining now established disrupters like the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha and hybrid sales are set to expand even further. Clearly, April 2026 marked a historical moment in time for the Aussie new vehicle market.