This SUV is just the second car to be added to the premium Century line-up after the Century sedan, which was launched way back in 1967.
The Legacy of the Century
Toyota has recently revealed its new flagship Century SUV, which could be a global model, unlike the previous sedan in the line-up. The Century sedan which was in production for almost 20 years and was discontinued in 2017 was a premium 4-door limousine. Their newer SUV is of course also aimed at people who prefer to be in the back seat just like its predecessor, so you can expect to see your CEO arriving at the office in this car.
Toyota Century – Exterior
When you see this car, Rolls Royce may come to your head, and just by taking a look, it’s obvious why. But it has a classy timeless design with a unique yet practical feature. Along with the usual two-door setup in the rear, there’s also an option with a slider door, which integrates well with the overall design of the car.
The SUV in comparison to the sedan variant is 130mm shorter, 60mm wider, and 300mm taller.
The SUV also has an upright and boxy stance with rounded edges and similar headlines to the Century sedan but with two separate housings for LEDs. At the center of the grille is the century emblem which hasn’t changed since 1967.
Wheels are of 20-inch standard and 22-inch alloys, with a design similar to the sedan variant and LED tail lamps with 3D elements with the badge in the middle. The car also gets a raked rear glass with an upright tailgate design.
The paint is the same as the sedan and there are a total of seven different color combinations to choose from.
Century SUV interior- a luxurious delight
Toyota didn’t back off from making sure the experience customers get from Century SUV’s interior is ultimate. It’s your own mini-home if you think about it. You get power steps on both sides, a large grab handle for smooth ingress and egress, adjustable seats that can fold flat which is the world’s first (according to Toyota), two 11.6-inch TVs, two removable 5.5-inch control panels, rotating picnic tables and even a refrigerator.
There’s no lack of quality and features in the front either. The dashboard is upright and features soft-touch materials all around with woodgrain and brushed aluminum finish. The multi-functional steering wheel also gets a unique design and 18-speaker sound system, digital rear-view mirror, heated steering wheel, and two 12.3-inch displays- one for instrumentation and another for infotainment.
Toyota Century SUV- performance
There’s no slack in this department too. Toyota has opted to go for a V6 petrol engine with a plug-in hybrid setup that produces around 406hp, unlike the V12 the sedan used to sport. Toyota claimed an electric range of up to 69Km and an average hybrid fuel consumption of 7 liters per 100km
The SUV has 3 driving modes- Normal, Eco, and Sport, but the real highlight is the “rear comfort mode” that distributes the braking force in such a way that it doesn’t bother the rear passengers.
The car also gets a four-wheel steering system that reportedly provides “easy handling” at low speeds and “seamless handling” at medium-higher speeds.
Toyota Century SUV- India launch expected?
Given the growing luxury car market in India and also taking into the factor that Toyota and Lexus have been actively launching their global models in India, there’s a big chance for the Toyota Century SUV on Indian roads. However, it’s not happening anytime soon since the car will be Japan-exclusive initially, and then it will be sold in selected regions. The SUV definitely has the potential to take on brands like Bently and Mercedes, if priced right and the after-launch real-world performance expectations are met properly.
