Toyota Century SUV, Toyota เพิ่มรุ่น SUV เสริมไลน์อัพ Century พร้อมออกสู่ตลาดต่างประเทศเป็นครั้งแรก

Toyota adds SUV type to “Century” and considering overseas sales for the first time

Latest Update October 10, 2023

Toyota has unveiled the new Century SUV model for the first time in the world, ready to enter the high-end market in foreign countries. Previously, the "Century" was the highest flagship model available only in Japan, with only the sedan version being sold.

Japan, 6 September 2023, At the press conference Toyota Motor Corporation will expand its flagship model, the highest-end car “Century”. The company unveiled a new sports utility vehicle (SUV) for the first time in the world and announced that it will be added to the lineup in addition to the current sedan model. The company aims to expand its customer base by adding 'fun to drive' to its traditional position as a 'chauffeur car,' a car with a driver. They are also considering overseas sales, and they have high hopes for the brand’s penetration. 56 years have passed since the release of the first generation, and now they are poised to enter the global high-end car market with a revitalized Chauffeur car.

“This is a Century that looks ahead to the next 100 years.” Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo on the 6th, Toyota's Director and Executive Officer, Simon Humphries, emphasized the following. The new SUV Century inherits a design rooted in traditional Japanese beauty and enhances characteristics befitting a chauffeur car, such as rear-seat comfort and convenience. Additionally, it boasts improved driving performance, making it an enticing 'driver's car.

Toyota, Toyota SUV Century

The quietest and most relaxing vehicle

The powertrain utilizes a plug-in hybrid system equipped with a specially developed 3.5-liter V-6 engine. Furthermore, it pioneers a four-wheel steering system to reduce vehicle body shaking and introduces a special function to minimize the impact of rear-seat acceleration and deceleration, enhancing rear-seat comfort. Director and Executive Officer Humphries states, 'It is the quietest and most relaxing vehicle. When you need to enhance your concentration and productivity, everything is within easy reach.

For sales, the company will implement a 'full order system' that allows customization of door opening/closing method, exterior color, seats, etc., based on personal preferences. This system will also be available for Toyota's top-of-the-line sports car brand, 'GRMN’.

In addition to the conventional domestic sales, the company will also consider selling overseas, although the timing and region have not yet been determined. Orders commenced in Japan on the 6th, with the release slated for sometime in 2023. Prices start at 25 million yen (including consumption tax). A new production line will be established at the Tahara factory in Tawara City, Aichi Prefecture, with the goal of selling 30 units per month. The current sedan Century will also continue to be available.

The Century has even been favored by the imperial family, bolstering its brand prestige as Japan's most opulent car. Conversely, Vice President Hiroki Nakajima notes, “I've heard that some young, dynamic executives have found it too stately, encountering a sense of resistance.” The new model targets the next generation, a relatively younger demographic compared to the current customer base, addressing such feedback.

Furthermore, “Since it employs the GA-K platform (shared with models like the Crown and RAV4), it can technically be adapted for use in any region,” as stated by Vice President Hiroki Nakajima. The company plans to determine the product's launch schedule and regions based on feedback from international customers.

Behind Century’s addition of an SUV model

The SUV market has been growing steadily over the past 10 years. In the shuttle vehicle market, demand is changing from sedans, which have traditionally been the mainstream, to SUVs and minivans, which are easier to get in and out of and offer greater interior comfort. Kohai Suzuki, an analyst at Four-in from Japan/Asia Research Group, said, “There is a shift from sedans to SUVs and minivans in chauffeurs, party due to their overwhelming convenience and resale value. It’s a natural progression, “ he points out.

In addition, from around the late 1910s, ultra-luxury brands such as Rolls-Royce, Mayback, and Bentley began successively introducing SUVs. It evolved from the previous “chauffeur car that you could ride while relaxing in the back seat” and expanded the market for “premium cars that were fun to drive”

Against this background, the market for pure sedan chauffeurs is shrinking. In the first place, it is assumed that orders will be received in small quantities and “it will be difficult to maintain sedans that are not the mainstream demand unless there is surplus capacity” (an automaker official). In fact, most domestic manufacturers have withdrawn, and Toyota is the only one that deals with it. For Toyota, the Century is the company’s flagship model, and it is not something that can be discontinued easily. A new Century was needed to maintain the brand.

Toyota, Toyota SUV Century

“Group strategy” with the chauffeur

The birth of the new Century is said to have been prompted by Chairman Akio Toyoda’s suggestion. In recent years, Toyota has been promoting a “group strategy” by expanding its car lineup with representative models such as the Crown, which have strong brand power, and expanding its customer base.

The basis for this is the idea that in order to maintain a brand, a certain number of units is needed to generate.

The scope of the chauffeur has expanded to include the minivan “Alphard”, which was previously not even seen as a target. Survival can be achieved by considering Chauffeur cars a group and expanding your options by adding the top-of-the-range Century.

Speaking of Century, Toyota’s late Honorary Chairman Shoichiro Toyoda, who participated in the development of the first generation and continued to use it as one of the users even after its release, is a strong impression.

In particular, Chairman Toyoda seems to have felt that the Century was “the car of his father, Honorary Chairman Shoichiro,” and not the car he would drive himself. However, with the addition of the SUV model, the company’s “group strategy” has become clearer, and a path to inheriting the brand has become clear.

How will Century be received by the world in the future? Four-in analyst Suzuki commented, “It’s a historic brand produced by Toyota, which is highly reliable, so it has a story and has a high impact “However, European companies are completing a cycle of introducing new cars in similar segments.” The competitive environment is tough. With factory operations generally at a high level, it is also an issue to establish a supply system that can meet demand.

Luxury and highest quality with “craftsmanship”

The Century was released in 1967 by Toyota, which was already one of Japan’s leading car manufacturers, with the aim of being the “best prestige saloon in Japan”

In order to compete with Nissan Motor Co’s luxury car “President”, it was developed as a model that guarantees safety and comfort for VIPs such as corporate executives and members of the imperial family. The name was given to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of the Toyota Motor Group.

It adopts Japanese design and craft techniques and uses many parts exclusive to the Century. We incorporate “craftsmanship” such as handcrafting each unit one by one to maintain a sense of luxury and top quality.

Toyota, Toyota SUV Century