Click above to view more images of Toyota's Night View technology

Toyota has been offering a large car known as the Crown in Japan for many years, and it often gets flagship-level technology which floats down to lower models in time. Recently, the Crown got the same parallel hybrid drivetrain which is offered in the Lexus LS600h. To go along with the advanced hybrid drive, the Crown Hybrid will now be offered with Toyota's new Night View technology, which allows drivers to see better under low-light conditions. In normal daylight, the 1280 pixel wide LCD displays what appear to be normal instruments, but at night, the LCD displays an alternate view ahead. While this type of technology isn't really anything new, Toyota has added an interesting new feature to its system which recognizes humans. Although the system only works at speeds below about 40 miles per hour and doesn't operate well in the rain, Toyota is working on improving its system to detect animals and bicycles, while also lowering the cost.


[Source: Nikkei]

Toyota has just introduced a new generation of their Crown luxury sedan. The Toyota Crown is a model that is only available in the Japanese market and a few other Asian countries. The rear wheel drive or all wheel drive sedan has been a staple of the Toyota brand since 1955 and the latest edition has an all V-6 engine lineup. The conventional models range from 2.5L to 3.5L in displacement, but the new 2008 model now offers a hybrid setup as well. The 3.5L V-6 hybrid is borrowed from the Lexus GS450h. One interesting feature available on the Crown is Active Noise Cancellation. Like noise canceling headphones, this system has a microphone detected engine noise and the system generates an opposite sound wave with the speakers to cancel the noise. The new Crown Hybrid is rated at 33mpg (U.S.) on the JC08 test cycle.

Related:

• Honda CR-Z hybrid, Toyota Crown hybrid 2007 Tokyo Motor Show videos
• Tokyo 2007 Preview: Toyota Crown Hybrid

[Source: Toyota]

Click the Toyota Crown for a high-res gallery

The Crown luxury sedan has been in Toyota's Japanese domestic lineup almost as long as the Corolla, but that doesn't mean there aren't any new tricks. For this year's Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota is showing off their new hybrid variant. The big sedan is equipped with the latest version of Toyota's parallel hybrid system as used in the new LS600h. It has a two-speed reduction gear for the electric motor to provide smoother performance and 10 air-bags to keep passengers confined in case of an accident.

[Source: Toyota]