New energy vehicles are running everywhere, either using electricity or using oil to generate electricity, do you want to change your taste? Recently, Toyota officially released the new 16th generation Crown FCEV hydrogen fuel version, but also released at the Fuji 24 Hours in Japan, there is a strong signal that Toyota wants to promote the development of hydrogen fuel technology faster. It is worth mentioning that this is also the first public appearance of the Crown FCEV, and some time has passed since the release of the regular version of the 16th generation Crown.
Do you think the hydrogen version will be more sci-fi? No, it doesn't differ significantly from the conventional, hybrid version in terms of appearance, except that an FCEV badge has been added to the front fender and trunk lid. From the point of view of appearance design, in fact, everyone is already more familiar, the shape is no different from the conventional 16th generation crown, positioned as a high-end luxury car, and the appearance style has changed greatly, becoming more sporty, and naturally lacks a stable and mature temperament.
Overall, the Crown Sedan FCEV adopts a more radical design language, the headlight group adopts a blackened treatment, the body appears relatively flat, connected by the same flat air intakes, and through-type daytime running lights, so that the visual width of the front part is considerable. And the interior of the grille is a vertical straight waterfall shape, and there are vertical deflectors on the wings on both sides, not to mention how much aerodynamic improvement can be brought about, the sporty texture is very strong.
On the side of the body, you can see the FCEV badge between the door and the fenders, telling everyone that this is an authentic hydrogen fuel cell powered electric vehicle. The lines on the sides of the body are also very smooth, and the mirrors and window frames are blackened to add a sporty feel. The new car is also equipped with large-sized multi-spoke wheels, and the dense spokes radiate in a slight spiral shape, and the sense of refinement is also good.
At the rear, this generation's crown features through-type taillights, which visually make the rear appear wider. It is worth mentioning that the trunk of the new car integrates the design of a sedan and a hatchback, and the opening is set in the middle of the rear windshield, which can bring a larger trunk opening than the traditional sedan, and the practicality should be quite strong.
Speaking of the interior, the 16th generation Crown adopts the popular design of full LCD instrument cluster and large central control screen, both screens are 12.3 inches, but there is no fish screen with a long length. Of course, although the appearance has changed dramatically, the mechanical gear shift lever and a large number of mechanical buttons have also been retained, which is probably commendable, and all functions have not been crammed into the large screen in order to save costs. At the same time, a large amount of solid wood and leather is used in the interior material, which matches the luxurious positioning of the crown.
Toyota officially announced the launch of hydrogen-powered models earlier this year, but has not disclosed any information or performance data. It's important to note that the 16th-generation Crown sedan is based on the same TNGA:GA-L platform as the Toyota Mirai, and the hydrogen fuel cell setup is expected to be the same. Hopefully, Toyota can squeeze more power out of the Crown sedan. As a reminder, the Mirai's power performance is actually very average, with only 182 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, presumably Toyota will tune more aggressive parameters for the Crown Sedan FCEV.
For reference, the conventional, hybrid version of the current 16th-generation Crown is between 236 and 340 horsepower. So do you think that hydrogen fuel power can replace the current pure electric and range extender technology?