Toyota is certainly having a busy year at the moment. From the launch of the Toyota Grand Highlander to the Land Cruiser 250 and even Toyotas limited to other regions such as the Alphard luxury minivan, it seems Toyota isn't resting on its laurels in every corner of the world. That includes its home market of Japan, wherein it decided to expand the Century nameplate and offer it as an SUV for the first time. Rumors of the ultra-luxury SUV have been circulating since early 2023, and while the idea was radical back in the day, the creation of a Century SUV wasn't unexpected since this body style is currently in vogue as of the moment. Well, that time has finally come, and here is the new Century SUV in all of its glory.

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Japan's Rolls-Royce Cullinan Fighter

The Toyota Century has played a prestigious role in being Japan's most luxurious model. Yes, it isn't wearing a Lexus badge, but Japan's most luxurious car happens to come from the brand that's also known to make economy cars like the Corolla. The Century has always been a full-size luxury sedan, and alongside the Lexus LS, the Century is Toyota's answer to the established European luxury brands. Further adding to its value and appeal is the fact that the Century is an ultra-luxurious and rare sedan. It wasn't sold outside Japan and even if you lived in Japan, the car wasn't cheap, which is why the Century has become the vehicle of choice of Japan's top executives and high-ranking government officials.

The Century, however, never really flexed its prestigious status. The car was discreet and merely minutely different from the Crown. It was the perfect luxury sedan for a country where restraint and subtlety are the norm--at least for the older generation. Even to this day, the newest Century looks discreet even next to the Lexus LS. The Century SUV, however, carries over the styling of the Century sedan, the mere fact that it's a beast in terms of size already makes it imposing and filled with presence.

Quad-LED headlights and taillights are the defining highlights of the Century, and these are combined with simple lines and shapes. As typical with the target Japanese demographic of the Century SUV, the paint options are in various shades of black, white, and silver, but four additional colors are available in the Kiwami line.

The Century is, unsurprisingly, highly customizable, but Toyota goes even further by letting you choose between two styles for the rear doors. At launch, a traditional hinged door that swings up to 75 degrees is offered, but a sliding rear door just like in minivans will also be offered soon and was displayed in a sporty GRMN prototype. Oh, and if you think that the Century SUV looks like a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, then I won't blame you. We do think it looks like the Rolls, too, but with the Century's distinct aesthetic at play.

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Step Into A World Of Japanese Luxury

Step inside the Century SUV, and you'll be greeted with an interior that's as opulent as any Toyota could get. Heck, it even looks nicer than what any Lexus interior is like to date. Let's get a few things out of the way first. There's a pair of 12.3-inch screens which you're probably familiar with if you own or have stepped inside the globally-sold Crown sedan or the new Grand Highlander. The steering wheel is also familiar from other higher-end Toyotas, but the rest is bespoke to the Century SUV.

This begins with the sheer amount of leather that's used across the dash, doors, and seats. At its price point, you better expect the finest materials since this is even more expensive than any Lexus on sale. While the front area is already luxurious since the Century SUV is also a vehicle that its owners will probably drive, the rear quarters are definitely the best seats in the house.

Exclusively sold as a four-seater, the rear occupants are separated by a fixed center console where all the controls for the amenities are housed. The rear seat on the left side (since it's a right-hand drive car, after all) can even be fully reclined, which is something you can't do in the Century sedan due to its couple distance. Couple distance is the horizontal measurement between the hip points of the front and rear seats, and in the Century SUV, that's about four inches more than in the sedan. For comparison's sake, here's a dimensional comparison between the Century SUV and the sedan.

Refinement is also another key aspect where the Century SUV has gone above and beyond in order to make this a true Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga rival. Generous sound insulation has been placed in key areas of the structure, while acoustic laminated glass surrounds the occupants. Lastly, taking a page out of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan's book, the Century SUV's passenger area is separate from the cargo compartment.

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Electrification For Opulence

Whereas the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga are available with big displacement twelve-cylinder or V-8 engines, the Toyota Century SUV only comes with a 3.5-liter V-6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain that's shared with the Lexus TX 550h+. What's also shared is the TNGA-K platform, though it comes with a comprehensive amount of added rigidity and structural enhancements to make the vehicle's ride worthy of its six-figure price tag. While Toyota did not reveal the power figures of the PHEV drivetrain, it is expected to be the same 406 horses that its Lexus sibling produces.

Sure, it's not as impressive as the V-8 hybrid drivetrain that the current Century sedan uses, but since it's a PHEV, the Century SUV is ideally treated as an electric vehicle (EV) with 43 miles of range when cruising within Tokyo and as a gasoline hybrid when going on long-distance drives.

The Toyota Century SUV also comes with a few tricks up its sleeve to make driving even more pleasurable. Dynamic Rear Steering helps shrink the car's turning radius while a new "Rear Comfort Mode" emphasizes comfort for the rear seat passengers by dumbing down the throttle or adjusting the suspension profile to reduce body movements for the rear passengers.

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Would You Buy This Over The Rolls-Royce Or The Bentley?

Since it's being pitched as a Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga rival, the Toyota Century SUV has big shoes to fill. It's quite an unfair comparison against the Rolls-Royce because of the power advantage provided by the V-12, while the Bentayga has the option for a W-12 or a more humble V-6 plug-in hybrid that matches the Century SUV. There's also the fact that the Century SUV isn't using a bespoke luxury car platform and is instead based on a platform that even the Camry uses. So without further ado, here's a table that compared the three ultra-luxury SUVs.

Interestingly, only 30 examples will be produced by Toyota at the Tahara plant each month. With that in mind, and especially with its price tag of JP¥25 million (approx. $170,000), it is highly unlikely that this will be sold outside Japan. If Toyota does decide to offer this in North America, would you pick a six-figure Toyota over a Bentley and Rolls-Royce, or heck even over a Lexus?