The midsize sedan market segment may be losing popularity, but Toyota reckons that its new Crown will slow down that trend. Arriving in the USA for the 2023 model year, the new Toyota Crown heralds the return of a model name that dates back to Toyota’s tentative first outing to North America, and serves as an unofficial replacement for the Avalon. But, because sedans are not selling all that well anymore, Toyota did what Volvo and Subaru have been doing successfully for years: They turned a normal car into a crossover.

We’ve only ever seen such a sedan-crossover mash-up in the metal once before, when Volvo put hiking boots and some body cladding on its milquetoast S60 sedan to create the Volvo S60 Cross Country, but that experiment ended after buyers stayed away in droves. Customers much preferred the conceptually similar but wagon-shaped V60 Cross Country instead.

Toyota may have a better chance of making this concept work, though, but perhaps not due to the crossover element. Instead, the new Toyota Crown sedan should rack up solid sales figures mainly because it will appeal to the same demographic who would have considered an Avalon sedan when it was still around. It’s about the same size, but its elevated stance and raised seating positions should make ease of entry a major selling point in a world where sedans have gotten too low-slung to be useful to many buyers.

The hardware underneath sure looks interesting enough, with a choice between two four-cylinder hybrid powertrains producing either 236 or 340 horsepower, along with all-wheel drive on all models and a comfortable interior with borderline premium-grade trimmings.

Built on the same accomplished Toyota GA-K platform as the Camry, the 2023 Crown will stand tall in its role as Toyota’s range-topping sedan, and could even challenge the related Lexus ES for attention. Toyota Crown competitors include the sportier but lower-slung Kia Stinger and outgoing Nissan Maxima, but only the Stinger can be had with optional AWD and neither one of these alternatives offer a hybrid powertrain option.

Toyota hasn’t made a bad car in a long time, so the default answer here is yes. In objective terms, the Crown does everything a mid-sized sedan has to do very well, and it does so while adding a surprising dash of originality that’s lacking in rivals such as the Nissan Maxima and Kia Stinger. It’s well-equipped as standard, has a comfortable ride quality, excellent fuel economy, standard AWD traction, and good performance even in base trim, and it looks truly distinctive in today’s motoring landscape.

As confirmed by our Toyota Crown first drive review, the only downsides involve surprisingly confined interior space and the fact that its opponents are more fun to drive. Rather than imagining it as a crossover, we’d really see the Crown as a riposte to the rise of the SUV as well as a natural evolution of the traditional sedan body shape. The market for this kind of car may be shrinking, but the Toyota Crown may just have the credentials to hold back the tide toward crossovers for a few more years.

Looking at the Crown with a coldly rational eye, the base XLE trim offers most of the things you need and nothing that you don’t, and this configuration is certainly the best buy in the range. You certainly won’t feel short-changed handing over about $40,000 and driving away on those smooth cloth seats, when the rest of the car is so appealing.

However, the mid-level Limited includes a bunch of extra comfort and safety features, and the glass roof may be essential to some to lift the cabin’s somber ambiance somewhat. The smart money will likely opt for a Limited, but those with a need for stronger performance won’t be disappointed by a Crown Platinum.