Toyota’s iconic Century name enters the luxury SUV market for the first time.
If you were a Japanese businessman or high-ranking politician over the last few decades, chances are you had a Toyota Century luxury sedan to whisk you around. Now, Toyota has unveiled an SUV to sit alongside the sedan, which it claims can still offer the “dignity, quietness, and ride comfort befitting a Century.”
Its reputation for opulent luxury in an elegant three-box limousine bodystyle is well known – sadly the SUV won’t be sold over here, so we’ll have to admire it from afar.
Along with the Century SUV’s size, a starting price of 25m yen in Japan (around AU$265,000) makes it a rival for large luxury SUVs like the Mercedes GLS and BMW X7. The Toyota takes a different approach to luxury than is the norm in this class though, just as the Century limousine did in competition with the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series.
Toyota calls the Century SUV a ‘chauffeur car’ but if you do find yourself at the helm there’s a plug-in hybrid 3.5-litre V6 providing “exhilarating acceleration performance” – actual performance figures haven’t been revealed yet. The hybrid 5.0-litre V8 option from the sedan hasn’t been carried over. There’s also four-wheel steering, all-wheel drive and Toyota claims torsional rigidity has been over the saloon – although we’re sure most Century SUV owners will hardly feel these changes from the back seat.
Inside, the steering wheel features the Century badge rather than a Toyota one and there’s a large infotainment screen on the dash taken from Lexus, but there are still physical switches and buttons for the climate controls and other core functions.
The SUV is a four-seater rather than a five-seater like the limousine and Toyota has clearly focused on giving back-seat passengers an easy time when getting in and out. The doors open to an unusually wide 75-degree angle and there’s a generous side step.
Once you’re in the back of the Toyota Century SUV you’ll find fully reclinable seats and a bespoke audio system aided by noise-reducing clear laminated glass that separates the cabin side from the cargo area. There are also TV screens for the rear passengers as well as a central fridge.