Toyota offered a sneak peek at the new Century, but this time, the ultra-luxe marquee is being spun off into a new high-end brand that will sit above Lexus.
The Toyota Century evolves into an ultra-luxe brand
Since it launched its first vehicle in 1989, the LS 400, Lexus has become one of the largest luxury brands globally. However, Lexus isn’t the only luxury marque Toyota offers.
The Century was around even before Lexus. First introduced in 1967 to celebrate Toyota’s founder, Sakichi Toyoda’s 100th birthday, the Century was Toyota’s most luxurious vehicle.
It has since become a symbol of luxury in Japan and a top choice for higher-up Japanese company officials as a chauffeur car. Toyota launched the new Century in 2023, an SUV, built on its latest plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system.
Now, Toyota’s ultra-luxury marque is evolving again and will become a standalone brand that will sit above Lexus. And this time it will be sold overseas.
Toyota previewed the new Century for the first time earlier this week, set to rival higher-end brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
According to Top Gear, the move to launch Century as a separate brand comes after Toyota’s former CEO, Akio Toyoda, was “concerned” with how the ultra-luxury model fit in its lineup.
Toyoda explained that “Until now, Century’s place in the company has not been clear,” adding “Overseas brands are the result of the merger of companies with different roots and origins, but all of these (Toyota) brands, except for Daihatsu, have the same roots.”
Toyota’s former boss compared Lexus to “the eldest son” and Toyota to “like the second son,” adding that Lexus “had the sense that it had to be responsible as the eldest son.”
“I previously suggested ‘why not make an above-Lexus?’, but because Toyota is a full-line mass-production manufacturer, they end up taking cars that sell in large quantities. However, when it comes to higher-end cars, even Lexus needs to go above and beyond,” Toyoda said.
Top comment by Dan B
I may be wrong. I've been wrong many times before. But at least in the USA, I see Lexus fading away while they move some Toyota models more upscale (to fill Lexus shoes) while making the Century a step or two above where Lexus was at. If I were a stand alone Lexus store, I'd be worried.
He added, “Toyota has the Century, so I advised them to position it this way.” So where does that leave Lexus? According to Toyota’s chief branding officer, Simon Humphreys, “Lexus will be freer to act.”
The Lexus brand will “continue to take on challenges as a pioneer,” Humphreys added, while “Century will take on the high-end market as the top of the top, one of one.”
Toyota previewed several vehicles that will debut later this month at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, including the Lexus LS Concept, a six-wheeled minivan, an electric Corolla, and the new Century.
The Japan Mobility Show starts on October 30, 2025, but press days open on October 29, so more details are expected soon. Stay tuned.
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