The Most Underrated New Toyota Signia | ShortsCars

Not long ago, station wagons ruled America's interstates, transporting families on epic road trips from coast to coast. Now however they are mainly the plaything of the rich (I'm looking at you BMW M5 Touring, and your sexy hatch).. Except for the Crown Signia, and maybe the Outback from Subaru, if you can still call it a wagon. So... Does it offer the practicality of a Highlander with the dynamics of a Camry? Well... No. But I still like it. I just wish it hit the MPGs the Camry can.

SAVE YOUR EYES, PRESS PLAY TO LISTEN

INFO
8 Reasons to Buy the 2026 Toyota Crown Signia | Premium Hybrid Crossover Review

Looking for a stylish and efficient hybrid crossover in 2026? Here are 8 compelling reasons to buy the 2026 Toyota Crown Signia — from hybrid efficiency and refined comfort to premium features and everyday practicality.

In this video, we cover:
Efficient Hybrid Powertrain and Fuel Savings
Premium Interior Quality and Comfortable Ride
Spacious and Versatile Cabin with Smart Seating Layout
Advanced Tech and Infotainment Features
Smooth Handling and AWD Option for All Conditions
Safety and Driver-Assist Systems for Peace of Mind
Balanced Price-to-Features Ratio Compared to Luxury SUVs
Practicality for Daily Use — City and Highway, Commuting and Family
The 2025 Toyota Crown Signia is part of a new era for Toyota. Gone are the Avalon sedans and Venza SUVs, and in their place is a single brand name: Crown. Crown is Toyota’s longest-running nameplate worldwide at about 70 years old, but to a lot of U.S. buyers, it’s new.

Now and in the future, the Toyota Crown brand will be a family of cars, kind of like how the Ford Mustang is now a muscle car and an electric SUV. The Crown sedan came first, replacing the Avalon. Then, the Crown Signia SUV took over for the Venza.

In the Crown family, “Signia” is just a fancy way to say “SUV.” The word doesn’t have any super cool language meaning that I can find, but Toyota says “Signia” is a derivative of the word “insignia.”

The Signia is the Crown family’s first SUV, and it has a hybrid-only powertrain. Toyota describes the Crown Signia as having a “long, sweeping roofline,” which was enough to make a few auto journalists toss the term “wagon” around at the launch event I went to last year. It’s a compliment, because journalists love things with wagon and hatchback styling.

At the Crown Signia’s launch, Toyota said it would only have two trims: the XLE, which starts at about $44,000 American dollars, and the Limited, which starts at about $49,000. There are no Platinum or XSE or Capstone edition or Sport trims, or anything else. Just those two.

This 2025 Toyota Crown Signia makes 240 horsepower from a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine and hybrid system. This car has standard electronic on-demand all-wheel drive (AWD), and the power goes through a thing called an

“electronically controlled continuously variable transmission”

(or eCVT). eCVTs are almost always misnomers because they don’t work like traditional CVTs, and I wish we could call them something cooler.

The Signia’s hybrid powertrain is non-plug-in, which means the car’s battery charges while it drives (but also provides less electricity than one with a plug). While a plug-in hybrid like the Toyota RAV4 Prime gets 42 miles of electric-only range, the Signia’s EV mode is limited to low-speed driving — basically, if you’re gliding around a parking lot, you can do so electrically. If you accelerate much past that, the gas motor kicks on.

And like the new Toyota Camry, which is also hybrid-only, the Crown Signia sends power to the rear wheels through a dedicated rear electric motor, providing additional traction when you need it. Long-term, Toyota’s signature hybrid approach has been extremely successful in America.

The Crown Signia is a great car. It’s not something you’ll take out to redline or rip through a winding road, but it is extremely good at what it sets out to do. Plus, it’s a Toyota with a Lexus interior. What’s not to like?

RELATED POSTS

COMMENTS

- We bought our 2025 Crown Signia in September 2024 and we love it! It’s my wife’s car and she is so happy with it. Perfect seating position to easily get in and out of the vehicle, comfortable seats, beautiful tan interior.

We also drove a RAV4, but my wife didn’t like it and fell in love with the red Signia.
I would like to get a Crown for myself, the Crown Sport, but they don’t sell it in the USA. I don’t really need another car
for myself now, but when I do I will be torn on the Signia for myself or probably a Golf R for a nice zippy car!
If you need a great family wagon vehicle, we totally recommend this car.

- Maybe not the hottest market, but the Crown Signia keeps coming up as the leader in my analysis as our future retirement vehicle. So it's something that we would cross-shop with other vehicles that are 1) easy to get in and out of 2) not harsh on our bodies as we navigate uneven roads 3) has a quiet interior 4) and has enough luxury-level touches for our taste.

-

YOU MIGHT LIKE