Lexus is a successful luxury brand of the Toyota Group, with a solid position in the market and fair competition with German rivals such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. However, most buyers still hesitate to spend over $200,000 for a Lexus. To address this issue and expand their customer base, Toyota may introduce a new, even more luxurious brand than Lexus.
According to some sources, Toyota plans to sell its luxury Century lineup with prices over $200,000. Therefore, Toyota is currently considering the possibility of turning Century into a new super-luxury brand.
For the Japanese, Toyota Century is a true luxury car. However, for customers outside of Japan, the name Toyota Century does not necessarily mean luxury. This could change in the future as Toyota transforms Century into a super-luxury brand, competing with Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
According to some sources, Toyota plans to export its luxury SUV Century, dubbed the “Rolls-Royce Cullinan of Japan,” to global markets, including the Middle East, Europe, and America. This SUV model will serve as an introduction of the Century brand to international customers. Afterwards, Century will be separated into a sub-brand and used for various other luxury models.
This information was revealed by an anonymous Toyota executive to Forbes reporters at the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon exhibition held in mid-January in Japan. According to this executive, the Century brand will produce more luxurious and impressive models than Lexus.
This move by Toyota is quite bold and can be perceived as a gamble. However, this is not the first time the world’s leading automaker has tried to enter a higher premium segment with a new brand.
The Toyota Century is a car with a rich history, dating back to 1967. At that time, Century was introduced as a limousine and specifically served customers with private chauffeurs.
Initially, Toyota Century used a V8 gasoline engine, and later added the option of a V12 engine. Recently, this lineup has switched to using hybrid engines with a V8 gasoline engine.
Throughout the years, Toyota Century has only had 3 generations. In the 4th generation, this lineup added a large-sized SUV version. This luxury SUV model was created by a team of 40 selected engineers. The time to tighten screws and bolts for Century takes about 1 minute, 12 times longer than other Toyota models. Therefore, Toyota can only produce 3 Century cars per day.
Toyota Century sedan (black) and SUV version
Not only in production, but even the distribution process of the Toyota Century 2024 also receives great attention. In Japan, not every dealership can sell this model. Only dealerships with “Century experts” can sell this lineup. In other words, these are salespeople who know every detail about the Toyota Century 2024.
Taking a page from Rolls-Royce’s playbook, Toyota also has a TaylorMade ordering system for the Century lineup. Through Toyota’s TaylorMade system, customers can order a Century with personalized details such as suicide doors like Rolls-Royce or side-opening doors like an MPV. Furthermore, customers can even request Toyota to make a convertible version of the Century. According to information at dealerships in Japan, customers can also choose manufacturing materials for the Toyota Century 2024, such as carbon fiber or gold.
In the Japanese market, the starting price for the Toyota Century 2024 is currently 25 million yen (about 4.15 billion dong). This figure can increase significantly with optional equipment or customer-specific orders.
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