Toyota has usually shied away from the luxury space and let Lexus– its dedicated luxury arm– handle this segment. That said, the Japanese brand has had one luxury vehicle in its arsenal for a long time named Century. The saloon traces its roots back to 1967 and got its last generation upgrade in 2018.
With growing favouritism towards SUVs, Toyota has decided to bring out an SUV version of Century. The company has teased the upcoming luxury SUV which is slated to make a global appearance on 6 September 2023. The upcoming SUV has been developed for the global markets unlike its sedan sibling which only caters to the Japanese market.
Toyota Century luxury SUV teased
The Youtube screen grab shows a chauffeur holding the rear door handle of a black-painted luxury SUV featuring chrome accents on the bodywork and LED taillights. Other highlights such as the glasshouse, the strong D-pillar, and the dropping character line are reminiscent of a certain Rolls Royce Cullinan.
The Century SUV will be based on a monocoque chassis that underpins Toyota Grand Highlander. This will make the Century SUV more suited to urban environments than off-road terrains, with primary target consumers being chauffeur-driven buyers. Expect it to be over 5.2 metres in length with the option of three-row seating layout.
Toyota is likely to offer the upcoming Century SUV the same amount of opulence as its sedan sibling inside the cabin. It will be loaded with premium features such as leatherette seats, a mini refrigerator, multi-zone climate control, panoramic sunroof, massaging seats with ventilations, and more.
Toyota Century luxury SUV expected powertrain specs
While the Century sedan is powered by a large V12, there are slim chances of this motor making its way to the Century SUV. Few reports suggest that the upcoming Century SUV could borrow a petrol hybrid powertrain from the Grand Highlander SUV. These include a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine coupled with two electric motors and a 2.4-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder petrol mill coupled with an electric motor.
There are also rumours of the Century SUV 3.5-liter plug-in hybrid V6 borrowed from TX 550h+ that produces 401 bhp and paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels.
Toyota Century luxury SUV: India launch expected?
It is too soon to comment if Toyota will be bringing the Century luxury SUV to India. However, judging by the growing market for luxury vehicles, especially SUVs, there is a remote chance that Toyota may contemplate on bringing the Century SUV to India.
