Toyota Finally Fixes The Two-Tone Paint Job Everyone Hated On The Crown Crossover

Toyota has released the first official images of the refreshed 2027 Crown Crossover ahead of its Japanese debut in mid-September, and the update tackles the one detail buyers complained about most since launch: the car's oddly split two-tone paint job. The lifted fastback, which arrived back in mid-2022, is set for a broader refresh covering styling, cabin equipment, and even the hybrid powertrain underneath.

The biggest visual shift involves how the body's contrasting color panels are arranged. Previously, the black section wrapped only certain areas in a way many owners felt looked disjointed. Now, everything from the A-pillars rearward to the D-pillars is finished in black, linking up with the front bumper, hood, roof, mirror caps, and side moldings for a more cohesive look. At the back, the treatment reverses course, switching to a body-color finish alongside a mildly reshaped bumper and new horizontal reflector strips.

It might sound like a minor tweak on paper, but the redistributed color blocking is said to make the Crown Crossover's proportions read more naturally, tightening up a design that previously looked a bit segmented. Toyota is also reportedly swapping the existing black paint option for a new Neutral Black shade, while the lower body cladding trades its unpainted plastic look for a glossier Piano Black finish. The RS trim adds red brake calipers as a standard fitment, giving the sportier variant a bit more visual punch.

Inside, changes are lighter but still notable. The Cold Weather Package and paddle shifters are expected to become standard equipment across the lineup, while the emergency spare tire and digital rearview mirror are reportedly dropped from the options sheet entirely. Higher-end Z and RS trims pick up a standard digital key, and the physical key fob itself switches to a darker Gray Metallic finish.

Under the hood, leaked dealer information cited by Japanese outlet Creative Trend points to a jump to Toyota's fifth-generation hybrid system for the mainstream Crown Crossover. The setup keeps the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder but pairs it with a beefier electric motor delivering an additional 16 horsepower (12 kW). Total system output reportedly climbs by 5 horsepower to a more competitive 236 hp (176 kW / 239 PS), with the car expected to run on electric-only power more frequently than before. The range-topping RS variant, meanwhile, keeps its existing Dual Boost hybrid arrangement, combining a turbocharged 2.4-liter engine with two electric motors for an unchanged 344 hp (257 kW / 349 PS).

Full pricing and specifications will land alongside the car's official reveal in mid-September. Currently, the Japanese lineup spans roughly ¥5,150,000 to ¥6,700,000, or about $31,800 to $41,300 at today's exchange rates. It's still unclear whether the US-market Crown sedan will inherit these same revisions for the 2027 model year, though Toyota is also expected to roll out similar updates across the rest of the Crown family, including the Sport and Sedan variants.

For a nameplate that's tried to carve out a distinct identity in a crowded crossover segment, cleaning up its most divisive styling element could go a long way. Whether the tweaked hybrid system and refreshed cabin extras are enough to win over skeptics remains to be seen once real-world pricing and driving impressions arrive later this year.