Toyota Century SUV Launched, a Worthy Rival of Rolls-Royce Cullinan

On September 6, Toyota officially launched the Century SUV. This is the all-new flagship SUV of the Toyota brand in Japan.

Unlike the sedan line that is only sold in the domestic market, the Japanese automaker also has plans to bring the Toyota Century SUV to the global market if demand is large enough.

With its appearance and luxury level, Toyota Century SUV is considered by experts to be a competitor to super luxury SUVs such as Rolls-Royce Cullinan or Bentley Bentayga.

For now, this high-end SUV will still be exclusively distributed in the Japanese market, sold alongside the sedan variant of the same name. In addition, the Toyota Century SUV will have other versions in the near future.

In terms of appearance, the Toyota Century SUV has a square, dignified appearance with a contrasting two-tone color scheme, true to the style that this car line has pursued for over 50 years.

The front of the car stands out with a two-tiered headlight cluster with each side of the light being a combination of 4 L-shaped LED strips. The radiator grille does not have the Toyota logo but is replaced with a separate phoenix symbol, similar to what Toyota did with the Crown line.

The new model also comes with standard 20-inch wheels and optional 22-inch wheels. At the rear, the LED taillights are similar in design to the front lighting system. The rear doors can be opened in a traditional swing-open style or a sliding door.

The Toyota Century SUV has overall dimensions of 5,205 x 1,990 x 1,805 mm, with a wheelbase of 2,950 mm, on par with the standard Bentley Bentayga but slightly shorter than the LWB variant of the Bentley Bentayga (5,322 x 1,998 x 1,742 mm and 3,175 mm), Rolls-Royce Cullinan (5,341 x 2,000 x 1,835 mm and 3,295 mm).

Inside, the Toyota Century SUV focuses primarily on the rear passengers, with only two business-class-style seats. The boss seat can be reclined completely so that the occupants can lie down on the road when traveling long distances.

Other amenities for the rear seats include two 11.6-inch screens mounted on the front seat headrests, two 5.5-inch touch screen control panels on the removable armrests, a refrigerator, a separate folding table...

In addition, the Toyota Century SUV also has a 12.3-inch touch screen infotainment system, 12.3-inch digital dashboard, HUD display, digital rearview mirror, wireless charger, heated steering wheel, soundproof glass and 18-speaker premium sound system.

In terms of performance, the Toyota brand's flagship SUV is equipped with a 3.5L V-6 plug-in hybrid powertrain (PHEV) for a total combined output of 406 horsepower combined with a CVT automatic transmission and an AWD system that allows rear-wheel steering. The four-wheel steering system will help the Toyota Century SUV handle easily at low speeds and handle seamlessly and naturally at medium to high speeds.

The Century SUV is offered with a range of driving modes including Normal, Eco, Sport, and most notably, a 'Rear Comfort' mode that distributes steering and braking forces in a way designed to not disturb rear passengers. It also assists with brake control to reduce vibration when the vehicle is stopped.

Toyota claims the Century SUV has an all-electric range of up to 69 km and can be fully charged in about 3.5 hours using a household power source. In Japan, the car starts at 25 million yen (about $170,000).