The Toyota Century could become an SUV this coming summer

It is not a model we find in Spain, but the Toyota Century is the flagship of the Japanese brand and this year it is going to change its appearance. It is a luxury saloon, so luxurious that it has served as official vehicle for the coronation of the Emperor of Japan. But it seems that its appearance is now being reconsidered, and this summer Toyota is expected to surprise us with a new body configuration.

And the thing is, as with many other models, the Toyota Century may end up falling under the influence of the market and will become an SUV. This is what several specialised Japanese media outlets indicate, so it has a good chance of becoming a reality. August is the month chosen to present this new model, though it is not yet clear whether it will be a replacement for the saloon or a variant.

In this way, customers who do not want to go without the comforts this luxury vehicle offers but prefer the SUV body style will be able to enjoy both. Apparently, this new model will be based on the Toyota Highlander, an SUV sold in the United States.

This suggests that the new Toyota Century could feature the Hybrid Max Powertrain propulsion system, which combines a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with electric motors on the front and rear axles. This setup delivers a total output of 340 CV, so it should offer good performance to its driver.

This model will be manufactured at the Tahara plant, which is responsible for building models of Lexus. It will sit above the Toyota Land Crusier and its price is expected to be around 10 million yen. In euro terms, this would be a little over 72,000 euros. According to the company, the target market for Toyota with this model is “wealthy people living abroad and senior government officials.”