If you’ve even casually looked into the world of Japanese domestic market (JDM) vehicles, you’re probably familiar with the Toyota Century. Known as Japan’s Rolls-Royce, the ultra-luxury car has endured for decades as a chariot for the country’s ultra-elite and royalty. In its time on the market, Toyota has barely wavered from the Century’s original design, but a new report from Japan’s Best Car Web states that the automaker is planning a Century SUV with a reveal date this year.
The current Century sedan shares some parts with earlier Lexus LS models, but it’s unclear how Toyota would configure a potential SUV model. Best Car Web reports that it will come with a 3.5-liter hybrid V6 instead of a V8 and four-wheel drive with a rear e-axle. Those keeping score at home will note that the engine is the same as from the Lexus LS 500h and LC 500h.
The publication notes that the SUV won’t be as stately as the sedan since it lacks a V8, but it also claims that Toyota will sell the Century SUV for personal use. Apparently, the V8 is overkill for personal use, and Toyota wants to push buyers up from the Crown to the Century SUV, so a V6 is a better choice.
Best Car Web said the Century SUV is planned for production in 2023 and will go on sale in about a year. The publication said an eyewitness account of the vehicle claims that it is reminiscent of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV at around 205 inches long and 77 inches wide.
Though we now have the Toyota Crown, we’ve never had, and will likely never have, the Century sedan. That clouds its fate here as an SUV, though it’s conceivable Toyota brings it to compete with the Range Rover and Cullinan, both of which sell here in reasonable numbers.
Best Car Web estimated a surprisingly reasonable price tag for the Century SUV. They think it will cost between 10 million Yen (around $76,000) and 15 million yen (just shy of $114,000). Those numbers are similar to the new Lexus LX 600, making it less likely that Toyota will bring it here to compete. Autoblog has reached out to Toyota for more information and will update this story as it becomes available.
