2026 Toyota Crown Nightshade – Review by David Colman

The great SUV, that’s not an SUV!

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL

Thanks to the veil of shade, night has fallen on the Crown. Purists will delight in the visual transformation wrought by newly blacked-out trim. Since its introduction in 2024, the Crown has occupied a dysphoric slot in the Toyota lineup, somewhere between a sedan and a utility vehicle. Stylistic indecision has partly led to that optical confusion, with the Crown's lofty 5.8 inch ground clearance and 60.6 inch height seeming to indicate off-road capabilities, a notion supported by the availability of all wheel drive. However, the sedan's sloping roofline prevents use of an SUV-like liftgate door. Consequently, all goods and belongings are relegated to just 15 cubic feet of trunk storage. Flattening the rear bench seatbacks allows you to tote a limited number of longer items that protrude into the cabin.

Lately, the cornerstone motto at Toyota is 'When in doubt, black it out." Diligently following that prescription, the Crown's Nightshade treatment includes 21 x 8J matte Black alloy rims fitted with 225/45R21 Michelin Primacy Tour A/S radials (TW540). These large diameter rims coupled with short 45 series tires visually drop the height of the Nightshade to near low rider specifications. In addition, all the busy trim bits have been dipped in dark: external badging, side door handles, front grill, and front door touch sensor plates. While the Crown is available in six different colors (including Black, of course), it's a perfect candidate for the new Crown shade called Storm Cloud. This distinctive gray graced our test vehicle and blended beautifully with the darkened trim.

The hybrid Nightshade is efficiently propelled to a 7.2-second 0-60mph time and a standing start quarter mile time of 15.5 seconds @ 91mph by its internal combustion (IC) engine augmented by 3 front and rear electric motors. This hybrid combo results in a phenomenal 550+ mile range thanks to an EPA rating of 42MPG City, 41MPG Highway, and 42MPG Overall. So plan on saving $2,500 in fuel costs over five years compared to the average new vehicle. If the base model Crown's engine proves insufficiently quick, you can upgrade to a turbocharged IC motor supplemented by traction motors that will drop your 0-60mph elapsed time to 5.1 seconds. The non-turbo Nightshade I tested transmitted its power to all four wheels on demand, via a constant velocity transmission. If you opt for the turbo Crown, Toyota replaces the CVT with a proper 6-speed automatic gearbox.

An extended Freeway romp of 120 miles revealed that Toyota's new Safety Sense 3.0 suite is perfectly attuned to the requirements of long-haul cruising. Once we achieved our preselected pace of 70mph, the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) did a yeoman job of keeping us percolating in the fast lane with just enough space (3 car lengths) to make us feel comfortable. Magnifying the assistance was Lane Tracing Assist (LTA), which relieved us of the burden of making constant course corrections. Only twice did the LTA require human intervention. The first occasion provided an Alert Notice on the instrument panel instructing us to take over manual steering duties through a confusingly striped construction zone. The second occasion required quick intervention on our part when the lane markings on a curve disappeared, causing the Crown to wander into an adjacent (and occupied) lane. So, exercise judicious but relaxed oversight, and let DRCC and LTA lighten your driving burden. We also benefited from the instant MPG readout, which showed us the Nightshade was returning 38.3 MPG for the duration of our two-hour-long run, during which our average speed was calculated at 60.0MPH.

Toyota has notably enhanced the interior of the Nightshade. A fixed panoramic moon roof is standard on this model. Opening its automated cover bathes the Nightshade in Sunshine. We appreciated the long and wide door storage pockets, which cater to water bottle and soda-can storage. Less successful was the design of the glovebox, which was fitted with an interior shelf that prevented convenient insertion of the Owner's Manual, let alone anything else. Also, the center console receptacle is too small to hold much of substance, and fitted with a very un-Toyota-like lid that kept closing itself when you flipped it open. Thanks to the substantial grip of the 21-inch Michelin radials, the Nightshade generated a substantial amount of cornering grip. So much so, in fact, that the front seats lacked sufficient lateral grip to cope with the excellent adhesion provided by the suspension and tires.

As the Crown picks up steam in its sophomore year of production, it has assumed a better-defined niche in the Toyota pecking order. With its reasonable base price of $48,765 and it's equally affordable delivered cost of $49,900; the Nightshade has defined a niche of its own that is designed to appeal to sedan buyers interested in a slick handling, good looking, exceptionally energy frugal mode of transportation that is not an SUV.

2026 TOYOTA CROWN NIGHTSHADE

• ENGINE: 2.5-liter inline-4, DOHC 16-valve + 3 AC Motors and Nickel Metal Hydride Battery pack
• HORSEPOWER: 236hp (Combined)
• TORQUE: N/A
• FUEL CONSUMPTION: 42MPG City/41MPG Highway
• PRICE AS TESTED: $49,900

HYPES: Long Distance Cruising Champ

GRIPES: Shortchanged Cabin Storage

STAR RATING: 9 Stars out of 10

©2025 David E Colman