Toyota Crown Signia Gets A Five-Inch Drop And A Body Kit, But No Extra Power

Toyota's Crown Signia has a new hobby: pretending to be a sports car. For its latest SEMA project, Toyota has taken the family-oriented crossover and given it a five-inch suspension drop, swollen wheel arches, 21-inch wheels, and a body kit that wouldn't look out of place on a much angrier machine. The Crown Signia GT-S Concept is certainly a departure from the model's usual personality, even if Toyota has played things rather safely under the hood.

The transformation comes from Toyota Motorsports Garage, which started with MCS coilovers to bring the body closer to the road. Custom front and rear fenders make room for the larger wheels, while a deep front lip, extended side skirts, and a redesigned rear diffuser give the crossover a much wider appearance. The black grille and red headlight accents add a little contrast to the dark grey metallic paint.

One particularly interesting detail is the set of front-fender louvers. They bring to mind the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, although Toyota hasn't explained whether they serve a functional purpose here. The glossy finish also deserves a mention, as the paint gets additional clear coats for extra depth.

Behind the 21-inch HRE wheels are brakes borrowed from the Lexus RX 500h F Sport. Toyota has made a few changes inside, too, fitting black leather seats with GT-S logos and adding a bright red emblem to the electronic shifter.

Then comes the part that might disappoint anyone expecting a proper performance upgrade. The concept retains the standard Crown Signia's hybrid 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, CVT, and 238 horsepower. That's perfectly reasonable for family duties, but it feels rather modest next to the aggressive bodywork.

A turbocharged 1.6-liter engine from the GR Corolla would have made this project considerably more interesting. Instead, Toyota has focused on appearance and chassis changes, leaving the powertrain alone.

The GT-S will remain a one-off SEMA creation, with no production plans announced.