The Toyota Century is a forbidden fruit. It's a full-size luxury sedan that, despite not being badged as a Lexus, is actually nearly as prestigious as a Rolls-Royce. The rear-wheel drive sedan has always been kept solely in the Japanese market and is popular among the country's top business executives, government officials, and even the Emperor of Japan. However, there is a bit of good news as the Toyota Century might be coming to markets outside Japan - including the United States.
The Century Could Turn Into An SUV
There is a huge catch, though. If it does, it will not be in the opulent sedan body style we've come to know and love. Nope, it will be in the form of yet another crossover SUV. First reported by the Japanese automotive website Best Car Web, the Toyota Century could spawn a full-size luxury crossover SUV "within 12 months".
The bad news doesn't end there. Whereas the Century has an RWD layout, the SUV derivative will ride on a front-wheel drive architecture. The Japanese website also adds that it will come with a 3.5-liter V-6 hybrid powertrain that will come with an "e-axle". This means that it will feature a similar hybrid electric layout as the Toyota Highlander or Lexus RX, wherein all-wheel drive traction is provided by electric motors at the rear axle. Toyota calls this their eFour system in most markets, and it will be interesting to see how it's implemented in a possible Century SUV.
Curiously, Toyota and Lexus currently don't have a hybrid electric powertrain that comes with a 3.5-liter V-6 at the moment that fits in a transverse FWD architecture. This was the case in the previous generation Lexus RX, but that was ditched in favor of a 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder or a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder. The Lexus LS and LC do come with a 3.5-liter V-6 hybrid electric drivetrain, but those two vehicles are RWD.
As for its size, the Toyota Century SUV will measure about 5.2 meters long (around 205 inches) and 1.95 meters wide (around 77 inches), which is just a few millimeters in difference from the Sequoia's dimensions, the publication reported. However, you have to remember that this will be a monocoque crossover SUV, so expect a boatload of interior space if the Century SUV comes to fruition.
The Century Follows The Crown's Footsteps
This move will follow in the footsteps of the full-size Toyota Crown. In the 2000s, the Crown became limited to mostly the Japanese market, where it transformed into an opulent full-size luxury sedan over the years. The year 2022 represented the turning point for the nameplate in which Toyota unveiled four different Crown models. An opulent rear-wheel drive, three-box full-size sedan is coming, though it now looks more like a fastback as it echoes the design of the Mirai. The three other models, though, diverge away from the traditional Crown formula. The model you're now familiar with is the crossover-type sedan, which is now in the United States. The other two are a midsize two-row crossover SUV and a desirable midsize wagon.
Currently, the Toyota Century comes with a 5.0-liter V-8 with a hybrid electric drivetrain, but previous versions have been powered by a V-12 - the biggest engine Toyota used to make. Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda cruises in a one-off Toyota Century GRMN, wherein only two of such tuned vehicles exist.
While intriguing, the report from Best Car Web is still highly speculative, and no one at Toyota has yet confirmed or hinted at the existence of a Century SUV.