2024 Toyota Century SUV debuts – TNGA-based luxury 4-seater; 3.5L V6 PHEV; priced from RM792k in Japan

Toyota has revealed a new Century model which takes the form of an SUV, although the term is nowhere to be found anywhere in the official release. Even so, we’re still going to call it the Century SUV, and it is available for order in Japan right now before an official launch takes place this year.

Keep in mind the Century SUV doesn’t replace the third-generation Century sedan that made its debut back in 2018, as the latter will continue to be offered to customers. In terms of pricing, the Century SUV retails for 25 million yen (RM792,041), which is more than the Century sedan that goes for 20.08 million yen (RM636,168). With that price tag, the Century SUV now is the most expensive new Toyota passenger car on sale in Japan – the carmaker expects to sell just 30 units per month.

Toyota’s new “Century for the next century” is built on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) with front MacPherson struts and rear multi-link, both with stabiliser. Besides better torsional rigidity and ride comfort, the platform used for the Century SUV also features something called a “luggage compartment separate structure.”

As the company explains, “noise-reducing clear laminated glass is used on the cabin side of the cargo space cargo space separator to properly separate the cabin from the cargo area (with 340 litres of capacity) and achieve the privacy and astounding quietness associated with chauffeur-driven vehicles.”

If you’re curious how the Century SUV stacks up against its sedan stablemate in terms of dimensions, here are the official figures:

Toyota Century SUV

• Length: 5,205 mm
• Width 1,990 mm
• Height: 1,805 mm
• Wheelbase: 2,950 mm
• Couple distance: 1,220 mm
• Weight: 2,570 kg

Toyota Century sedan

• Length: 5,335 mm
• Width 1,930 mm
• Height: 1,505 mm
• Wheelbase: 3,090 mm
• Couple distance: 1,135 mm
• Weight: 2,370 kg

As for the design, the Century SUV is a blocky SUV with a profile that is reminiscent of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Some of the sedan’s cues are evident here, including the shape of the front grille, Century script on the tailgate and exquisitely engraved phoenix emblems.

Luxury is in the details, which is why the certain painted surfaces on the Century SUV are meticulously polished to achieve a mirror finish. The door panels also boast kichomen chamfering to accentuate certain lines for a smooth visual flow.

The Century SUV’s face is differentiated from the sedan by three large air intakes in the lower apron, while the split headlamps have two lighting elements within each cluster – this is also replicated for the rear taillights for a distinctive lighting signature. The standard wheel size is 20 inches, with 22-inch units available as an option.

Customers will engage with Century Meisters to customise their Century SUV to best suit their requirements and tastes. During the unveiling event, Simon Humphries, chief branding officer and head of design at Toyota, said buyers can even opt for more bespoke creations like a GRMN with a sportier exterior, and in one of the images, a convertible version! “The possibilities are endless and open to discussion,” said Humphries.

Of course, the highlight of the Century SUV is its interior, and those getting into the rear will do so via doors that open to a wide 75-degree angle and automatic retractable side steps. To make ingress and egress even easier, there are also grips on the C-pillars. Swing doors too conventional? The Century SUV can also be specified with powered sliding rear doors.

Unlike the Century sedan that seats five, the SUV only accommodates four, with those at the rear greeted a large panoramic glass roof and two individual chairs (with ottoman and massaging functions) separated by a high centre console. The seat behind the front passenger can be set to fully recline for that airplane feel, and other amenities include a refrigerator, plenty of stowage spaces, an ambient lighting system, an 18-speaker sound system and touchscreen displays.

At the front, Toyota says the Century SUV’s cockpit is “equipped with functions and features that support professional drivers and enhance ease of use.” Rather than shoving everything into the 12.3-inch wide-format touchscreen, there are plenty of physical controls for the climate system, seats and other functions to make sure they can be accessed with fumbling through menus.

The phoenix emblem on the steering wheel is also a nice touch, and in keeping with modern times, there’s a head-up display and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that provides info on the status of the plug-in hybrid powertrain. Yes, the Century SUV is a PHEV and it uses a setup similar to what you’ll find in the Lexus TX 550h+ instead of the electrified 5.0 litre V8 in the Century sedan.

The PHEV powertrain provides a total system output of 412 PS (406 hp or 303 kW), which is slightly less than the hybrid V8 in the Century sedan that serves up 431 PS (425 hp or 317 kW). The SUV can also drive for up to 69 km purely on electricity thanks to its lithium-ion battery, which takes 3.5 hours to charge when plugged into an AC charger rated at 6 kW (200 V/30 A) – a vehicle-to-load (V2L) system is also included. The specifications of the plug-in hybrid powertrain in the Century SUV are as follows:

Other driving-related features include Dynamic Rear Steering (rear-wheel steering) to help with manoeuvrability, while a Rear Comfort mode supports the driver’s control of the vehicle to make sure rear passengers remain comfortable by assisting braking control to suppress jolts when the vehicle comes to a halt. The full Toyota Safety Sense suite of advanced driver assistance systems is also included as part of the standard kit list.

GALLERY: 2024 Toyota Century SUV

GALLERY: 2024 Toyota Century SUV launch event

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