Toyota Century SUV Unveiled in Japan as Rolls-Royce, Bentley Challenger
Toyota leads all mainstream automakers on the planet, but now it also targets ultra-luxury SUV customers with the all-new Century that was unveiled today for the Japanese market.
The name might ring a bell. After all, it’s been used for more than 55 years on a range of premium automobiles sold in the land of the rising sun. For the first time, it is stamped across the liftgate of an SUV.
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The new Toyota Century aims to challenger renowned symbols of opulence including the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga. It rides on the same TNGA-K architecture that underpins a number of Toyota and Lexus models including the freshly introduced 2024 TX. A commanding silhouette and front grille, two-tone body, quad headlights in a two-tier arrangement and optional sliding rear doors are some of the exterior highlights. Save for the large wheels, chrome is eerily subtle.
The interior is even more impressive. The four-seat layout maximizes rear passenger comfort, as you can imagine. Both individual rear seats recline up to 77 degrees and offer a retractable, heated ottoman. That’s not all: a unique refreshment function utilizes adaptive air bladders within the seats to prevent soreness by constantly making micro-adjustments.
Top-notch materials can be found throughout, while the list of premium amenities include folding tables with dual smartphone docks in the rear centre console, an available mini refrigerator, 11.6-inch entertainment displays mounted on the back of the front seats, as well as an 18-speaker audio system that was specifically designed for the interior of the Century SUV.
As for the engine, forget a V8 or V12/W12 like in the aforementioned British SUVs. Instead, a plug-in hybrid system combines a 3.5-litre V6 with a pair of electric motors, delivering a total of 406 horsepower and about 70 km of zero-emission range based on the WLTP test cycle.
Pricing for the Toyota Century starts at 25 million yen (including the Japanese fuel consumption tax), which is equivalent to a bit more than $230,000 CAD at the current exchange rate. It’s obviously much more expensive than a Toyota Sequoia or Lexus LX, but a real bargain compared with a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, which can easily cost double.