Toyota has a vast product portfolio including many intriguing cars that it doesn’t sell in global markets e.g. the Century luxury sedan that we’re looking at. Exclusively made for the Japanese market, the Century is a luxury car designed to lure away buyers from the likes of Rolls-Royce and Maybach with its understated but beguiling packaging plus its complete devotion towards passenger comfort.
Till a few years back, the Century sedan was available with a silky smooth V12 while the latest generation model gets a hybrid V8. However, the moniker has now spawned an SUV which is dowsed in luxury along with a hybrid powertrain.
The SUV version follows the slightly oddball looks of the sedan with a distinct old-school approach towards its design with a boxy silhouette. That said, it’s more subtle than a Rolls-Royce Cullinan despite its gargantuan proportions. Let’s take a closer look.
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Unlike the sedan, Toyota has tried to spice up the SUV with a GR version with sliding doors and sportier wheels. As always, the talking point is the interior which rivals a Lexus for design or craftsmanship along with being luxuriously trimmed with plush materials.
It sits only four passengers with rear seats having a full recline option plus being ventilated. However, Toyota has stuck to a more standard template here and does not offer wool as an option for the interior unlike the sedan.
You do get some of the interesting features though like a shoehorn plus retractable tables along with the usual connectivity suite of rear screens and a central touchscreen controller. Of course, like any luxury car, extreme measures have been taken to reduce noise levels including thicker laminated glass and even a dedicated driving mode to reduce brake jolts!
We would have loved a V12 but a 3.5-litre V6 plug-in hybrid powertrain does the job here with an ample electric-only range while four-wheel steering is also available.
Unlike a Range Rover or Rolls-Royce Cullinan, this car won’t be a common sight, even in Japan as production is limited to just 30 units a month. Priced at $250,000 plus, the Century SUV is less idiosyncratic as its sedan sibling and can surely pass off as a credible super luxury SUV if Toyota decides to ever sell it in other markets outside of Japan.
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