Akio Toyoda Thinks Younger Buyers Will Flock To The Toyota Century SUV

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The Toyota Century SUV’s launch came as somewhat of a surprise but it makes a lot of sense. Not only are SUVs more popular now than they ever have been before but the market for luxury SUVs has boomed in recent years Indeed, it’s surprising that Toyota didn’t make a Century SUV sooner.

Toyota lifted the veil on the Century SUV in early September and revealed it will have an eye-watering price tag equating to around $169,000. That’s a lot of money yet according to Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, the Century SUV will attract plenty of young buyers.

“This is the top premium, chauffeur-driven car not just within Toyota but in Japan,” Toyoda told the Toyota Times. “I think this model will also suit younger people and those who previously felt that a Century was not for them.”

Read: Toyota Century SUV Debuts As The Pinnacle Of Japanese Opulence

According to Toyoda, who long served as the chief executive of Toyota, the parking area for the carmaker’s executives was once filled with “nothing but Centuries.” However, in more recent years, younger executives have started driving other vehicles like the Alphard and Vellfire. This trend seems to have given Toyoda hope that the Century SUV will also be well-received by younger buyers.

Only time will tell if this is actually the case. The market of young individuals who can afford a vehicle like the Century SUV will be small but it is significantly cheaper than a Bentley Bentayga or a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Toyota has also confirmed that it will offer plenty of personalization options for the Century SUV and even create one-off builds upon request. These could even include a cabriolet version.

While the Century SUV is luxurious, it doesn’t have a particularly exotic powertrain. Lying under the hood is a 3.5-liter plug-in hybrid V6 that pumps out 406 hp. This powertrain includes all-wheel drive, an e-CVT transmission, and is good for a zero-emission range of up to 43 miles (69 km).