The Toyota Century SUV model, launched last year, was once dubbed the Rolls-Royce Cullinan of Japan. Now, the Century brand will directly compete with the Goodwood-based car manufacturer, as an independent super-luxury brand from Toyota, surpassing anything that Lexus has ever offered.
This confirmation comes from Forbes, after a Forbes journalist spoke with an unnamed executive from Toyota at the recent Tokyo Auto Salon exhibition. When asked why the Century GRMN, the luxury SUV of Toyota’s president Akio Toyoda, is not sold as a Lexus product, the CEO confirmed the future position of the brand globally.
“Oh no, Century will actually be positioned above the Lexus brand as a super-luxury brand,” the Toyota CEO said.
As we know, the Toyota Century will be sold globally, focusing on the markets of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. The Century SUV will offer a range of options and upgrades that allow customers to customize to their preferences. Customers can choose the standard version with a price of around $170,000 or the GRMN version with a price of up to $220,000. The unique convertible Century SUV is not mentioned, but if Century wants to offer a comprehensive luxurious experience, the convertible option would be reasonable.
So if Century is an independent brand, what will the Century SUV be called? According to some sources, the SUV will simply be called ‘Century’, while the sedan version will be called ‘Century Sedan’.
However, the challenge for Century will not be to create a high-quality product, but rather how to convince the wealthy that the Century phoenix badge is as prestigious as the Flying B or Spirit of Ecstasy. Super-luxury cars focus on aesthetics and craftsmanship, and Century may be able to achieve this as well.
Trang Nguyen (Forum.autodaily.vn)