The new Toyota Century SUV has just been unveiled today and will be making its Japanese market launch this year. Just in case you are worried if the Century sedan is axed, it’s not and will continue to be sold alongside the new Century SUV.
Toyota describes the Century SUV’s exterior design theme as the “stately grandeur”. It essentially looks like a heightened Century sedan and has kept many of the sedan’s iconic design elements.
At the front is the Toyota Century’s iconic phoenix emblem. Certain parts of its painted surfaces have been polished to achieve a mirror finish. Another interesting design feat here is the Genesis-like split headlights and tail lights which Toyota says give the impression of a “gaze of dignity”.
Powering the Toyota Century SUV is a newly developed 3.5-litre V6 Series Parallel plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system. Paired with an E-CVT gearbox, power is sent to all four wheels via the brand’s E-Four Advanced all-wheel drive system.
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Sitting on the brand’s TNGA platform, the Toyota Century SUV is also equipped with a four-wheel steering system. This system, according to Toyota is said to provide easy handling at low speeds, and more natural handling at medium to high speeds.
To provide rear passengers a more comfortable ride, the luxury SUV is the first vehicle in the Toyota Century series to be equipped with a Rear Comfort mode, which supports the driver’s control of the vehicle. Aside from this, the Rear Comfort mode also assists braking control to suppress jolts when the vehicle comes to a halt. To make the Century SUV a more ideal chauffeur-driven vehicle, the PHEV system has been designed to function as a full battery electric vehicle (BEV) for everyday use and a hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) during long-distance travels.
Inside, the Toyota Century SUV is fitted with fully reclining rear seats, along with the newly developed “luggage compartment separate structure”. This design features a noise-reducing clear laminated glass that is used on the cabin side of the boot space separator to properly separate the cabin from the boot.
As a result, passengers inside the chauffeur-driven car can enjoy more privacy and an even more quiet riding experience. As for the luxury SUV’s audio system, Toyota has incorporated “auditory sensibilities” and “exemplary techniques” of a musical instrument manufacturing master into the audio system’s development to provide a live performance-like listening experience.
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As mentioned before, the luxury SUV will be making its launch in its native market – Japan by this year, and will be built at the Toyota’s Tahara Plant. Priced at 25 million yen (approx. RM792,665), Toyota is aiming to sell around 30 units of the Toyota Century every month. In the future, the carmaker claims that the new Toyota Century SUV’s exterior colour and interior will be fully customisable inside according to the individual customers’ needs.
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