During a cross-country trip to celebrate the Japanese automaker’s 60th anniversary in Canada, we had a fun little meeting with some older Toyota Land Cruisers, after which we test-drove the all-new 2025 Toyota Crown Signia, a station wagon-style crossover that sits atop the existing Crown sedan.

The plan is to drive from Winnipeg, Manitoba to North Bay, Ontario, a distance of about 700 kilometers, and we will have enough opportunities to test the Crown Signia. Please note that our test vehicle is a pre-production model that does not necessarily meet the high standards of automakers for manufacturing quality, but is still fully operational. More on that later.

The sleek Toyota Crown Signia replaces the discontinued Venza, which has failed to attract a large number of customers since returning in 2020. We can’t help but think this will hurt sales of the Crown, which debuts as a 2023 model.

The front face successfully fuses the Lexus and Prius design styles, with a grille similar to the Lexus RX and headlights similar to those of Toyota’s next-generation hybrid.

From the side, the Crown Signia also looks much better than the Venza. The oversized 21-inch wheels add a lot of sportiness to the vehicle, while the long, low body shows the style of the station wagon.

During our three-day expedition, several onlookers approached us to get a closer look at the car and ask questions about it, mostly to find out what it really was. Similar to the late Avalon, the Crown Signia essentially redefined Toyota luxury.

Once inside the car, the connection to the Crown is even more obvious. The dashboard is the same. So is the general layout of the carriage. The only difference is that the large glass roof maximizes the sense of space.

When it comes to cargo capacity, the new crossover has less baggage capacity than the Venza (702 litres vs. 816 litres), but the reverse is true when the rear seats are folded, with the former holding 1,872 litres and the latter only 1,560 litres. For the record, the Subaru Outback is still king, with capacities of 923 litres and 2,141 litres, respectively.

The build quality could have been better, as evidenced by the loose center console cover. Keep in mind that this is a pre-production model. It’s a safe bet that the actual model to be offline will be as sturdy as the Crown sedan we’re used to.

It’s very easy to find the right driving position, no matter where you sit, you can enjoy comfort on long trips. Despite the 21-inch alloy wheels, the ride is smooth and quiet, and front passengers can enjoy heated and ventilated seats. By the way, the Canadian version of Crown Signia offers a single trim level called Limited.

The 2025 Toyota Crown Signia looks good, comfortable and fuel-efficient, and this hybrid could be the perfect road wagon. Our combined fuel consumption is 6.6 litres/100 km, although we sometimes go up to 120 km/h on the highway. This score is much better than the Outback, and owners jump for joy when they see low fuel bills when they stop at a gas station.

The driving dynamics, on the other hand, aren’t as sharp. The steering is light and doesn’t provide enough feedback. Acceleration isn’t bad at best, and the CVT complains every time you want to squeeze more power out of a naturally aspirated engine. Sure, 240 horsepower sounds good, but considering the Crown Signia weighs close to two tons, we’d expect Toyota to offer the 340-horsepower Hybrid Max system in Crown Platinum as well.

The station wagon is gradually dying out, so it’s refreshing to see a new one hit the road. The Toyota Crown Signia may still be a rarity, though, as its base price of $57,450 is about $10,000 more than the top-of-the-line Outback. Granted, Subaru’s turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine consumes more fuel, but that’s not the only consideration when buying a family car or road wagon.

If the Crown Signia is equipped with the aforementioned 340-horsepower system, which delivers 400 pound-feet of torque, the high price will be more acceptable. Too bad it can’t be found. Toyota Canada is also wise to add a cheaper model – as is the case in the US – to attract more potential buyers.