Toyota redesigns 'Crown'; uses 'Value' Innovation to cut costs

19 February 2008

Tokyo: Toyota Motor Corporation has announced a completely redesigned version of the "Crown Royal Saloon" and "Crown Athlete" series. The company has also added a hybrid model to the product line-up. 

The remodelled Crown is the first car to build on Toyota's new cost-cutting strategy, called V I, or Value Innovation. Toyota is hopeful that value innovation will manifest savings of at least $2.8 billion a year.

The Royal Saloon and Athlete series have gone on sale in Japan on 18 February, and the "Crown Hybrid" will be launched in Japan on 6 May.

The 13th-generation Crown unveiled today retains the sense of poise and reliability that characterises the Crown series, which has earned a reputation as the leader among luxury vehicles in Japan over the more than half a century since its debut in 1955. 

At the same time, the new Crown adopts advanced technologies to create luxury sedans that provide performance at the world's highest levels.

The Value Innovation (VI) program seeks to bunch numerous car components together in more manageable and lower cost, modules and systems. The program also has implications for the car's final price, features, and competitiveness of parts suppliers.