Toyota is looking to take its Century brand global, positioning it above Lexus as the pinnacle of its lineup. The Japanese giant wants to expand the ultra-luxury marque beyond Japan, where it has been traditionally associated with the country’s political and business elite.
The Century was introduced in 1967 and was built in small numbers, sold mainly in its home market. Toyota began expanding the nameplate in 2023 with the introduction of an SUV, and the company subsequently turned Century into a standalone brand.
Global Expansion
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda recently arrived in Detroit in a Century SUV, despite the model not being officially sold in the United States. Chief Technology Officer Hiroki Nakajima described Century as a global model, saying Toyota wants feedback from people in the automotive industry.
Nakajima stated, ‘We want to showcase the latest version of the Century. It’s a global model, so we’re interested in getting feedback from auto industry officials in Detroit.’
The V6-powered Century SUV is already sold in China and shipped in small volumes to other countries in Asia and the Middle East, while Toyota is studying additional markets.
Ultra-Luxury Segment
The ultra-luxury segment is already crowded, with BMW’s Rolls-Royce, Volkswagen’s Bentley, and Mercedes’ Maybach. Toyota wants to play in that same neighborhood with Century, albeit with a very different philosophy rooted in Japanese craftsmanship and restraint.
Century’s appeal is rooted in its history as Japan’s ultimate luxury car, with members of Japan’s Imperial family, prime ministers, and high-ranking executives having used the brand. Expanding overseas means Toyota will have to convince wealthy buyers that Century belongs in the same conversation as Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
Toyota unveiled a Century high-riding coupe concept last year, giving a glimpse at what a more flamboyant member of the family could look like. The concept was a departure from the traditional chauffeur-oriented sedan, showing that Toyota doesn’t want Century to remain trapped in its own history.
Future Plans
Toyota isn’t exactly starting from scratch, as the Century has been around for nearly 60 years and has spent decades building a reputation as Japan’s ultimate luxury car. The company is now giving that old-school nameplate a much bigger stage.
Whether the rest of the world is ready for a brand positioned above Lexus remains to be seen, but Toyota taking Century out of the shadows is fascinating in itself. Toyota has been tight-lipped about what powers the coupe, but has said that not all future models will be electric.
As with seemingly every exciting project at Toyota, this one bears Akio Toyoda’s fingerprints, who proposed spinning off the Century into its own brand after being displeased to see the Century sedan and SUV at the Toyota booth during the 2024 Japan Mobility Show.