In a posting in Toyota Times internal magazine, Akio Toyoda, Chairman of the Toyota Motor Corporation, mentioned that the Century SUV is not only suitable for young users but also for customers who previously felt that the Century sedan was not for them.
Century has always been a famous model, considered as a symbol of power and luxury for the Japanese people. Akio Toyota shared that in the past, the parking lot for corporation officials at Toyota headquarters in Japan “had nothing but the Century model.” However, times have changed. Nowadays, many leaders like to be chauffeured in premium minivan models such as the Alphard and the Vellfire. Meanwhile, the newly launched premium Century SUV model will attract young customers.
It remains to be seen how many young people in Japan are willing to spend up to $167,000 to own the most luxurious SUV from Toyota to date. Meanwhile, the starting price of the Land Cruiser 300 in Japan is equivalent to $34,000.
The Toyota Century SUV will be offered with multiple configurations, including a GR Sport version. The Century SUV is equipped with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) 3.5L V6 powertrain with a combined total power of 406 horsepower. The powertrain is accompanied by a CVT transmission and eFour all-wheel drive system. This is a similar powertrain to the recently revealed Lexus TX550h+ which is considered a more luxurious version of the Toyota Grand Highlander.
In terms of design, the front of the Century SUV stands out with a 2-tier LED headlight system, with 4 LED strips in a “L” pattern. The large-sized grille features a honeycomb grid without the Toyota logo as usual. Instead, the car is equipped with a phoenix-shaped logo that has been an icon on the Century sedan since 1967.
The sides of the car feature bold body lines and standard 20-inch aluminum wheels. Users can choose the optional 22-inch wheels.
At the rear, this luxury SUV is also equipped with a 2-tier LED taillight system with an “L” pattern, similar to the headlights.
The interior of the car will focus on rear passengers. The car features power-folding aluminum steps that can be retracted with the touch of a button, 75-degree opening rear doors, and large handles to facilitate passenger access.
The rear seats can be electrically adjusted and fully reclined, allowing users to relax when the car is stationary. To achieve this, the front passenger seat will move as far forward as possible to touch the dashboard.
Other amenities in the second-row seats include a retractable table, two 11.6-inch screens mounted on the backrests of the front seats, two detachable 5.5-inch touch screen control panels, analog clock, LED reading lights, and a refrigerator.
In the driver’s compartment, there is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, HUD display, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment screen.
In addition, the car also features an 18-speaker audio system, wireless phone charging, digital rearview mirror, heated steering wheel…
The Century SUV has a trunk capacity of 340 liters. The Toyota Century SUV will be exclusively sold at selected dealerships in Japan. Toyota plans to have a basic monthly sales volume of about 30 units.
Trang Nguyen (Forum.autodaily.vn)
