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The Guangzhou Motor Show has played host to the unveiling of the Chinese-market version of the latest Toyota Crown, built as part of the FAW-Toyota joint venture. The S210 model, which was introduced in Japan at the tail end of 2012, replaces the previous S200 sold in the Middle Kingdom since 2009.

In fact, like all its Chinese-spec predecessors, this car is actually based on the long-wheelbase variant, the Crown Majesta, presumably due to the country's voracious appetite for stretched sedans. It has a 75 mm longer wheelbase than the regular JDM Crown, at 2,925 mm.

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This Crown sports a different design from the Japanese-market versions, with redesigned LED head- and tail lights, a wider full-length front grille flanked by sculpted air intakes and LED positioning lights, a reshaped boot lid and a new rear bumper. It is unclear if the new look will make it onto the Crowns sold in Japan.

Inside, the Chinese-market Crown looks pretty much identical to the Japanese models, save for minor changes to the instrument cluster and centre console. A 13-inch TFT LCD portrait-layout touchscreen sits front and centre on the dashboard, controlling both the infotainment system and the climate control.

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Unlike the Japanese-spec models, in China the Crown does not come in hybrid form as standard. Instead, naturally-aspirated 2.5 litre and turbocharged direct injected 2.0 litre (presumably the same engine that made its debut on the Lexus NX 200t) engines were announced, although no power or torque figures have been released so far.

Safety features include Toyota's Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) which incorporates Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), traction control, ABS and Brake Assist, as well as Pre-Crash Safety (PCS), Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) and an overhead Panoramic View Monitor (PVM).