Toyota Century is a symbol of status. It is a premium chauffeur-driven car that has been traditionally presented as an understated sedan. But now, the tradition has been broken. Soon the Century will be more than a sedan as a new Century SUV is set to join the solo model line.
The new Toyota Century SUV is Toyota’s answer to chauffeur-driven SUV which has been dominated by the likes of Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Indeed, aesthetically, it has the silhouette common among today’s luxury, chauffeur-driven SUVs but it incorporates Japanese aesthetic elements.
It has the characteristic chauffeur-driven car proportions, with a center of gravity at the rear and combined with an outline inspired by a loom shuttle motif, with kichomen chamfering delineating generously sized, smooth-flowing door panels. For the uninitiated (which is pretty much most people), Kichomen is a chamfering method originally used on posts of Heian-period (794-1185) room partitions.
Befitting its exquisite luxury status, the exterior is immaculately finished down to the finest detail by master craftspeople. Speaking of exterior, the new Century also wears the iconic phoenix emblem. It also inherited the Century’s four set-back lamps, albeit in a different design. The rear, too, has four set-back lamps but in an arrangement consistent with the headlights.
On the inside, it adopts a human-centered design with comfort and safety as a priority for both the rear passengers and the driver. It features a comfortable interior space with fully reclining rear seats, a refreshment function, an audio system that envelops passengers, wide 75-degree rear doors, automatic retractable power steps, easy-to-grab C pillar grips, and a minimalist but elegant dash.
The new Toyota Century SUV is powered by a newly developed 3.5L V6 plug-in hybrid system with the PHEV with a range of 69 kilometers (about 43 miles), which allows it to function as a BEV for daily driving. The engine is, as Toyota explains, “used only when necessary”. The 3.5L V6 engine with the electric motor, which is on the rear axle, produces a total of healthy 412 PS (406 HP).
Another key feature of the new Century’s drivetrain is the E-Four Advanced driveline, an electric 4WD system optimized for Century. The torque distribution varies depending on driving conditions:
“Torque distribution between the front and rear wheels is precisely controlled between 100:0 and 20:80 according to driving conditions, achieving high traction performance and handling stability on a variety of road surfaces. When starting or accelerating straight ahead, the system is controlled at approximately 60:40 to 40:60 to suppress pitching of the vehicle and provide a direct feeling of acceleration. When cornering, information such as vehicle speed and steering angle is used to distribute driving force according to driving conditions, contributing to excellent handling stability. The drive distribution is approximately 50:50 from the start of the steering turn while turning, and when exiting the corner, the drive force distribution is closer to the rear (50:50 to 20:80) to ensure traction performance and prevent vehicle pitching. It achieves a turning feeling that allows you to trace the line you are aiming for while controlling it.”
Other notables include a four-wheel steering system, a newly developed “luggage compartment separate structure”, improved torsional rigidity, and noise-reducing clear laminated glass.
The Toyota Century SUV is available to order in Japan for 25,000,000 yen [JP] (US$169,901).
Images: Toyota [JP].
