The is a
full-size luxury sedan from
Toyota. It is an upmarket variant of the
Crown and serves as Toyota's flagship model in various countries.
The Crown Majesta appeared after the international introduction of the
Celsior
The is a full-size luxury sedan (F-segment in Europe) serving as the flagship model of Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota. For the first four generations, all LS models featured V8 engines and were predominantly rear-wheel-drive. In the fourt ...
/Lexus LS in late 1989; the Celsior was exclusive to ''
Toyopet Store'' locations on a newer platform. The Crown Majesta, positioned as a modern limousine alternative to the already existing
Century
A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c.
A centennial or ...
and shares the flagship role, was exclusive to Toyota Japanese dealerships called ''
Toyota Store''. The Crown Majesta appeared before the
Aristo/Lexus GS, which was assigned to ''
Toyota Vista Store
Toyota vehicles in Japan are distributed to numerous dealership chains throughout the country. Up to May 2020, each dealership chain had a different product offering, with some models restricted to one chain to maintain exclusivity. Since May 2020, ...
'' locations and shared the Crown and Crown Majesta platform.
The Crown Majesta shares a stretched variant of the smaller Crown platform series which is also used in the Aristo/GS, however, it is not just an upper trim level of the Crown sedan, the Majesta is a separate car with unique styling and interior treatment. The Crown Majesta was later released in other countries in Asia such as China.
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First generation (S140; 1991)
The first-generation Crown Majesta was introduced in Japan as a 4-door
hardtop
A hardtop is a rigid form of automobile roof, which for modern cars is typically constructed from metal. A hardtop roof can be either fixed (i.e. not removable), Convertible#Detachable hardtop, detachable for separate storing or retractable ha ...
sedan in October 1991. It had much of its resemblance to its smaller sibling, the
Crown. It also bore a resemblance to the larger
Celsior
The is a full-size luxury sedan (F-segment in Europe) serving as the flagship model of Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota. For the first four generations, all LS models featured V8 engines and were predominantly rear-wheel-drive. In the fourt ...
, which was a sedan that appeared earlier in 1989. At first, the Crown Majesta was a trim level variant of the Crown series, called the Crown Royal Saloon G. The Majesta was a more luxurious variant of the Crown and was slightly wider and heavier, necessitating two engine choices: the 3.0-litre ''
2JZ-GE
The Toyota JZ engine family is a series of inline-6 automobile engines produced by Toyota Motor Corporation. As a replacement for the M-series inline-6 engines, the JZ engines were 24-valve DOHC engines in 2.5- and 3.0-litre versions.
1JZ
Th ...
''
six-cylinder, which produced and the 4.0-litre ''
1UZ-FE''
V8, which produced . The two engine choices gave Japanese buyers the option as to which
annual road tax obligation they were willing to pay. Unlike the
body-on-frame
Body-on-frame, also known as ladder frame construction, is a common motor vehicle construction method, whereby a separate body or coach is mounted on a strong and relatively rigid vehicle frame or chassis that carries the powertrain (the engin ...
S140 hardtop, the Majesta was built using
unibody construction, becoming the first model in the Crown family to adopt such a design.
In 1992,
four-wheel steering was offered in compliance with the
four-wheel drive system, called
4WDi-Four. This boosted handling capabilities and gave increased traction. Advanced for this time, the Crown Majesta had an optional
GPS navigation system,
electronic instrument cluster
In an automobile, an electronic instrument cluster, digital instrument panel or ''digital dash'' for short, is a set of instrumentation, including the speedometer, that is displayed with a digital readout rather than with the traditional anal ...
,
electric power steering
A power steering is a mechanical device equipped on a motor vehicle that helps drivers steer the vehicle by reducing steering effort needed to turn the steering wheel, making it easier for the vehicle to turn or maneuver at lower speeds.
Hydraul ...
, heated front and rear electric seats, a
head-up display that projected key information on the inside windshield surface above the instrument cluster, and an
i-Four comprehensive vehicle control system.
A
battery-electric
A battery electric vehicle (BEV), pure electric vehicle, only-electric vehicle, fully electric vehicle or all-electric vehicle is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that exclusively uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, wi ...
version called the
Crown Majesta EV was made as a lease vehicle in 1993.
File:Toyota crownmajesta uzs141 ctype 1 r.jpg, Rear view
Second generation (S150; 1995)
The Crown Majesta underwent its first redesign in 1995. Notable enhancements were made to the taillights to distinguish the model from the lower-spec
Crown. The redesign made the vehicle similar to the
XF20 series Celsior/LS 400, which debuted in 1994. Changes were also made to the engine lineup. The 3.0-litre engine stayed the same, but the 4.0-litre-powered unit received a power increase to . Due to cost-cutting efforts within Toyota, the list of optional equipment offered was simplified.
The second-generation Majesta is the first Toyota model to be equipped with
vehicle stability control in 1995.
At its introduction in 1996, it won the
Automotive Researchers' and Journalists' Conference Car of the Year award in Japan which it shared with the 1996 Crown.
In August 1997, the front grille was restyled and
HID headlights were introduced.
VVT-i technology was offered on the V8 engine, improving the power to . A 5-speed
automatic transmission was also introduced. Four-wheel steering was no longer offered. In addition, a two-tone paint scheme offered an upmarket image for the Crown Majesta.
File:Toyota Crown Majesta S150 rear.jpg, Rear view
Third generation (S170; 1999)
This version was released in September 1999 and received a complete redesign, further incorporating styling elements of the Celsior/LS. Wider vertical taillights were incorporated as well as redesigned headlights, grille and minor aesthetic updates. Four-wheel steering was again offered. The previous two-tone paint scheme options remained as well as Toyota's other top-of-the-line features for this model.
DVD-based
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...
navigation was also introduced, as well as an "Ottoman" footrest for the rear passenger seats. This was achieved by enabling part of the seat cushion of the front passenger seat back to tilt rearward towards the rear seat passengers.
The model came in a C-type or an A-type option, the A-type having less standard options with conventional spring and shock suspension as standard, while the C-type had more options as standard such as height adjustable air suspension,
TEMS, dual zone climate control, rear wheel steering and power rear seat as standard with leather as optional. All engine variants also had the option for 4WDi-Four four-wheel drive system.
The S170 series Crown Majesta received an updated version of the 4.0-litre engine with VVT-i, rated at , while the 3.0-litre option was changed to the ''
2JZ-FSE'' type. The trend among automakers towards large-diameter wheels with low-profile tires was ignored in favour of a more comfortable ride and better handling with smaller wheels. This model also made available with a 5-speed "Super ECT" automatic transmission.
It was made the official company car for senior-level Toyota management. This model also had a 10th Anniversary special edition run which was a fully optioned C-type specification model with leather and a sunroof as standard.
File:Toyota Crown Majesta S170 rear.jpg, Rear view
Fourth generation (S180; 2004)
The fourth-generation Crown Majesta was introduced on 6 July 2004. In August 2006, the Celsior was no longer offered in Japan, due to the introduction of the
Lexus brand there. The Crown Majesta replaced the Celsior, despite objections from Japanese customers. It introduced the first
Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM)
integrated vehicle
handling
Handling may refer to:
* Automobile handling, the turning characteristics of land vehicles
* Handling of stolen goods, a statutory offence in England and Wales and Northern Ireland
People
* Adam Handling (born 1988), British chef and restaura ...
and software control system and
radar adaptive cruise control with low-speed tracking function. The engine was upgraded to the 4.3 L ''
3UZ-FE'' V8 unit, shared with the US-spec
LS 430. The transmission was upgraded to a 6-speed automatic unit, the four-wheel drive system was improved, and
air suspension was introduced. Intelligent
adaptive front lighting and rear
curtain airbag
An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system using a bag designed to inflate extremely quickly, then quickly deflate during a collision. It consists of the airbag cushion, a flexible fabric bag, an inflation module, and an impact sensor. Th ...
s were added to improve safety. Enhancements were made to the interior of the vehicle, including a
rear-view camera
A backup camera (also called a reversing camera or rear-view camera) is a special type of video camera that is produced specifically for the purpose of being attached to the rear of a vehicle to aid in backing up and to alleviate the rear blind ...
and
parking assistance technology. A
supercharger
In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement.
The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
option was also offered, allowing the engine to produce .
In July 2004, the Crown Majesta introduced both a
lane keeping assist and a radar
pre-collision system
A collision avoidance system (CAS), also known as a pre-crash system, forward collision warning system, or collision mitigation system, is an advanced driver-assistance system designed to prevent or reduce the severity of a collision. In its ...
with a single camera to improve the accuracy of collision forecast and warning and control levels.
For 2006, G-Book was added to the list of standard features, along with a rear-view camera. A departure from previous models, the two-tone paint scheme was removed to target a younger audience.
Hongqi HQ300/HQ430
In China, this generation of the Crown Majesta was rebadged and had been sold as the
Hongqi Hongqi (, Chinese for "Red Flag") may refer to:
*Red Flag (magazine), ''Hongqi'' (magazine), published by the Chinese Communist Party from 1958 to 1988
*Hongqi (marque), Hongqi (automobile), luxury car series of First Automobile Works (FAW), Changc ...
HQ300/HQ430 from 2006 to 2010, using the same engines as the Crown.
File:Hongqi HQ300 002.jpg, Rear view
Fifth generation (S200; 2009)
On 26 March 2009, the fifth-generation Crown Majesta was introduced. Although it was initially reported that the name "Crown" would be removed, establishing the Majesta as an independent car, this did not happen and the car remained called the Crown Majesta. The body size expanded from the previous generation, comparable to the
LS.
As with the GS and LS, the 4.6-litre ''
1UR-FSE'' V8 engine is standard, however, four-wheel drive option employed the 4.3 L ''3UZ-FE'' one. The larger engine incurs a higher
road tax liability than the smaller 4.3-litre unit.
In China,
FAW Toyota assembled a limited number of
left-hand-drive S200 series Crown Majesta, which is called Crown Royal Saloon VIP. Another car based on the Crown was called the
Hongqi H7
The Hongqi H7 is a four-door executive sedan that is manufactured by the Chinese manufacturer FAW under the Hongqi marque. It is the successor to the Hongqi HQ3 built between 2006 and 2010.
Overview
The H7 was first presented to the public at ...
and has been in production since 2013.
File:Toyota CROWN MAJESTA (S200) rear.JPG, Rear view
File:Toyota Crown RoyalSaloon VIP V8 (China) (cropped).JPG, Crown Royal Saloon VIP (China)
File:2009 Toyota Crown-Majesta 03.jpg, Interior
Sixth generation (S210; 2013)
Launched in Japan on 9 September 2013, the sixth-generation model replaced the outgoing model's V8 engine in favour of Toyota's ''
2GR-FXE'' 3.5-litre V6
hybrid powertrain shared with the
L10 Lexus GS 450h sedan, plus an additional 2.5-litre ''
2AR-FSE''
four-cylinder
The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized.
Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...
hybrid unit for the four-wheel drive version. The elimination of the V8 engines reduced the annual road tax liability for large engine displacement. The Crown Majesta was given a redesigned appearance after the reintroduction of the
Y51 series Nissan Cima in April 2012. Fuel economy is improved to under the
JC08 test cycle. The wheelbase is longer than the corresponding
Crown Royal and Athlete, but shorter than the
Century
A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c.
A centennial or ...
, and incorporates advanced safety and convenience equipment such as
blind spot monitoring and a
collision avoidance system
A collision avoidance system (CAS), also known as a pre-crash system, forward collision warning system, or collision mitigation system, is an advanced driver-assistance system designed to prevent or reduce the severity of a collision. In its ...
.
The Crown Majesta was discontinued on 27 April 2018 in favour of the
S220 series Crown.
File:Toyota Crown Majesta S210 rear.jpg, Rear view
File:Toyota Crown Majesta S210 interior.jpg, Interior
References
External links
*
{{Toyota road cars timeline, 2010–present
Crown Majesta
Cars introduced in 1991
2000s cars
2010s cars
2020s cars
Full-size vehicles
Luxury vehicles
Sedans
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
All-wheel-drive vehicles
Vehicles with four-wheel steering
Hybrid electric cars
Partial zero-emissions vehicles
Flagship vehicles
Cars of Japan