Toyota spotlights luxury Century SUV for the first time

According to preliminary data, the new crossover will be presented this year. It is possible that, like the current Toyota Crown, the model will become global.

Under the name Toyota Century, an executive sedan has been produced since 1967, and the current generation is only the third in the more than 50-year history of the model (such a four-door in service since 2018). Meanwhile, the Japanese media have long tipped this name to the new SUV. And, apparently, they were right.

So, as part of the presentation of the fresh minivans Alphard and Vellfire, which took place the day before, the silhouette of a luxurious crossover was highlighted: a slide with a five-door appeared immediately after the actual sedan was shown. It should be noted that in the public video broadcast conducted by Toyota itself, the SUV is almost invisible, but representatives of specialized media present at the event could see it: in particular, a teaser of the cross was published by the Response website, taken from a different angle.

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Why was the Century sedan and the new crossover shown at the MPV presentation? The fact is that Toyota minivans are positioned as prestigious cars that require a personal driver (as is the case with a four-door). By the way, Toyota chief designer Simon Humphreys also said that “even the Century is already moving towards bold changes,” and that by the end of the year the company’s “chauffeured” car line will be replenished with a new model. True, it is still not clear until the end: whether the SUV will replace the four-door or complement the line.

Current Toyota Century 1/6 sedan Current Toyota Century 2/6 sedan Toyota Century 4/6 sedan Current Toyota Century 5/6 sedan Current Toyota Century 6/6 sedan

There is no official information about the filling of the crossover. Some Japanese media believe that the Century SUV (as local journalists called it) will be a relative of the Toyota Grand Highlander and Lexus TX, that is, it will share the GA-K platform with them. And, of course, the upcoming flagship will be electrified one way or another.

Today, the Toyota Century sedan is sold only in Japan. But the cross may well become a global model: Toyota did the same with the new generation Crown.

More details about the Century SUV should appear towards the end of the year.