Toyota Revives ‘Century’ as its New Luxury Brand; Lexus to be Repositioned

Toyota Motor Corporation is shaking up its brand strategy, and turning its Century product line into a full-fledged brand for new top-end luxury offerings. That means it will be positioned above Lexus, the conglomerate’s current high-end marque. The news comes just ahead of this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, where a “one-of-one” Century coupe will be shown off.

The current Toyota Century is sold only in Japan as the brand’s flagship. With this news, it’s likely that the company has global ambitions for a new luxury product tier that will compete with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and others.  

The first-generation Century, a luxury sedan, was launched in honour of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sakichi Toyoda, founder of Toyota Industries. Its exterior design hardly changed at all till the introduction of a second-gen model in 1997 and then a further revision in 2018, though various new features and options were added in that time, along with new safety measures. A Century Royal with additional security capabilities was produced to serve as the official state car of the Emperor of Japan.

In 2023, the Century badge was used for a new SUV, keeping up with changing customer demands. Teasers released earlier this week for a one-off coupe version of the Century have sparked interest online, though the company’s exact plans for it will be revealed later this month at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Lexus, characterised by company chairman Akio Toyoda as the “responsible eldest son”, will now be freer to experiment with its offerings, as per media reports. A six-wheeled minivan under the Lexus name has also been teased for the Tokyo Motor Show, indicating that this transition is likely already in motion.