When thinking of luxury cars, brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Rolls-Royce come to mind. Most of these brands have been producing luxury cars for decades and are known for their features, comfort, and power. Toyota is not a brand that people would generally associate with luxury. However, the Japanese carmaker does offer premium and luxury cars in India and around the world. They even have a model that could be considered a Rolls-Royce Cullinan challenger. It’s called the Toyota Century SUV, showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show this year.
The Toyota Century isn’t a new name; it’s actually the name of their most luxurious sedan. This sedan is popular among rich businessmen and was even used by the Japanese emperor. Toyota decided to take things to the next level by creating an SUV using the same name. The sedan version of the Century is still available for sale. It has been on sale for five decades, and the Japanese carmaker keeps updating it in terms of both design and features.
The video begins with a question: what happens when one combines Rolls-Royce and Alphard MPV? The Century SUV is just that. Toyota created this SUV in response to market demand, as everyone these days is gravitating towards SUVs and crossovers.
Externally, the Century SUV has a boxy design that resembles the Cullinan from certain angles, although the design of the headlamps and tail lamps is different. The split headlamps and tail lamps are all LED units and they look unique. It exudes extreme luxury from the outside, adorned with a hand-engraved phoenix insignia on the grille, tailgate, and even on the 22-inch chrome wheels. What sets this car apart from other SUVs in the segment is the optional sliding door. Customers can choose between an electrically opening sliding door or a regular one.
The car also features automatic retracting side steps that provide access to an extremely spacious cabin. The driver enjoys leather seats with electrical adjustments, multi-zone climate control, a fully digital instrument cluster, and a broad center console housing all the necessary buttons to control other features. However, the Century SUV truly shines in its rear seats. Rear passengers can recline the seats electrically and enjoy individual entertainment screens; a touchpad on the armrest can control other features. While the SUV lacks window curtains, the windows have electrochromatic capabilities. Toyota has added some clever touches, like a transparent glass between the rear seat and boot to maintain cabin quietness, operable with the touch of a button. The glass roof of this SUV also offers this feature.
The SUV is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 plug-in hybrid petrol engine. The electric motor has a range of around 69 km, and combined, the engine and electric motor generate 412 Bhp. Similar to Rolls-Royce cars, this Century SUV undergoes a thorough inspection by a master inspector for over 3.5 hours before delivery to the customer. Toyota will only be selling the SUV in Japan, with production limited to only 30 units per month. This exclusivity contributes to the Century SUV’s price, which is around 25 million Yen.
