Toyota has revealed a new flagship SUV in Japan to sit alongside its current Century sedan that will continue to be offered alongside it.
The new Toyota Century is being pitched as an SUV rival to the likes of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga. In Japan it costs ¥25 million (~A$265,000).
At this stage it’s expected the Toyota Century SUV will be for the Japanese market only, meaning it won’t be coming to Australia. The sedan has always been exclusive to the Japanese domestic market.
Toyota has revealed the Century SUV in a number of guises, including a GR Sport variant with rear doors that slide like a people mover, as well as a convertible. For now just the regular version has been detailed.
The Century SUV is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain with a total system output of 303kW of power. This is mated to a continuously variable transmission with an eFour all-wheel drive system.
This is the same powertrain setup as the recently revealed Lexus TX550h+, which is a luxurious version of the left-hand drive only Toyota Grand Highlander.
Toyota claims the Century SUV has an all-electric range of up to 69km according to Japanese WLTC testing. When the battery is depleted it has an average hybrid fuel consumption of 7.0L/100km.
Fully charging the Century SUV’s high-voltage battery takes a claimed three hours and 30 minutes when plugged into a 200V/30A wall socket.
The Century SUV comes with a range of drive modes, including the typical Normal, Eco, and Sport, but the headline is a ‘Rear Comfort’ mode that distributes the driving and braking force in a way designed not to disturb rear passengers.
There’s a four-wheel steering system that’s claimed to provide “easy handling” at low speeds, and “seamless, natural handling” and medium-to-higher speeds.
The four-seat Century SUV measures in at 5205mm long, 1990mm wide, and 1805mm tall, with a 2950mm wheelbase. This is 130mm shorter, 60mm wider, and 300mm taller than the five-seat Century sedan.
At the front of the Century SUV are a set of LED headlights with four distinct elements, as well as the iconic phoenix emblem dating back to the first Century from 1967.
Around the side are 20-inch aluminium wheels as standard, though larger 22-inch aluminium wheels can be optioned. There’s also a character line running the entire length of the side profile.
At the back the LED tail lights have a similar lighting signature to the headlights, although they have a three-dimensional element. Century lettering is also written on the tailgate.
The Century SUV retains the iconic two-tone paint job from the sedan. It’s available in a total of seven different exterior paint colour combinations.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
