Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) on Wednesday officially spun off its iconic Century marque into a standalone ultra-luxury brand, marking its formal entry into the top tier of the global luxury car market currently dominated by Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
Announcing the launch at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo, TMC Chairman Akio Toyoda said, “Century is not just another brand within Toyota Motor Corporation. We want to cultivate it as a brand that brings the spirit of Japan―the pride of Japan―out into the world. The next Century begins with us”.
Positioned above Toyota’s existing premium brand Lexus, Century will focus on bespoke craftsmanship deeply rooted in Japanese tradition.
Long synonymous with prestige in Japan, the Century name has adorned Toyota’s most exclusive sedans since 1967, serving business leaders and government officials. In 2023, the lineup expanded with the addition of a luxury SUV. Now, the marque brand is set for global expansion, as Toyota looks to carve a space in the ultra-luxury segment.
Yoshikazu Tanaka, deputy general manager – product planning at TMC, said the Century vehicles will be built exclusively in Japan. “We have automotive manufacturing technology in Japan and we have a lot of traditional craftsmanship in this country. We want to create a new brand to deliver Japanese craftsmanship and artisanship to the world,” he said.
Currently, Century offers a customised sedan and SUV, produced at an annual capacity of 200 and 300 units respectively. At the show, Toyota also unveiled the Century Coupe — an orange-bodied, two-seater luxury car prototype.
“With Century in the exclusive ultra-luxury space, Lexus now has the freedom to strengthen its promise to customers at the heart of the luxury marketplace,” said Simon Humphries, chief branding officer at TMC.
The Lexus brand also showcased a range of unconventional concepts reimagining its flagship LS model — from a six-wheel “Luxury Space” to a single-seat urban pod.
Toyota’s own product line-up at the show blended nostalgia with futuristic ambition. The company unveiled a new-generation of its best-seller Corolla, built on a flexible platform that supports hybrids, pure electrics, and internal combustion engines alike.
“Whether it’s a battery EV, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, or internal combustion engine vehicle―whatever the power source―let’s make good-looking cars that everyone will want to drive! This car is packed with inventions aimed at making that a reality,” said TMC President and CEO Koji Sato.
TMC also showcased the IMV Origin — a partially built vehicle platform that allows end users to complete the vehicle based on their needs. Sato said the company will ship the vehicle from its production plant unfinished and it’s the local people who will assemble and complete it.
“This brings new local jobs in the form of assembly work,” Sato said adding that the concept was built keeping in mind people living in rural villages in Africa
The semi-built model can be configured for both passenger and cargo transport. “The IMV Origin is a vehicle that takes on the challenge of constant reinvention based on the concept of ‘deliberate incompleteness,’” he added.
(The correspondent is in Tokyo at the invitation of Toyota Kirloskar Motor)