Century, the luxury brand of the Toyota Group, will become a truly independent brand which, on a global level, will aim to compete with the traditional protagonists of the segment such as Bentley, Maybach and Rolls Royce, to which it is also added in the SUV sector alone Range Rover.
The distribution of the current Century range - currently made up of two models, a limousine and a long wheelbase SUV - will not only be limited to Japan, but will also be expanded to other 'interesting' markets for the luxury sector, such as China, the Middle East and United States.
A possible expansion of the Century offer was anticipated at the recent Tokyo Auto Salon where the Century SUV was exhibited, as a one-off, in a 'younger' and sportier Grmn version, with bodywork elements in carbon fiber .
It is also probable that a new convertible variant of the luxury off-road vehicle will also be added to the Century limousine and long-wheelbase SUV.
A teaser was shown by Simon Humphries, head of the brand, during a presentation at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November 2023.
Century's luxury SUV is based on Toyota's GA-K platform, the same as the Toyota Grand Highlander models and Lexus TX 550h which are sold in the North American market.
As in these models, it is equipped with a petrol hybrid powertrain which is based on a 3.5-litre turbo petrol V6 and a Phev system and an 18.1 kWh lithium-ion battery.
In the TX 550h the total power is 404 HP and the 0-100 km sprint is achieved in 5.9 sec.
The Century brand has been present in Toyota production since 1967, when the first high-end Century sedan was presented - the subject of various evolutions over time - which was intended for niche customers and heads of state.
Last year, Toyota added the Century SUV to its flagship lineup.
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