Boss above boss, Century above Lexus
Lexus is the premium brand of Toyota with which the Japanese aim to compete with brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Infiniti, and Acura. Above that comes a brand: Century.
Toyota is making a big splash later this month at the Japan Mobility Show. Among other things, it is bringing a new supercar, a preview of the next generation Corolla, and a concept model of Century to the show. Currently, you know Century, and there also exists an SUV simply called Toyota Century SUV, with which Toyota wants to serve the premium customer itself. The future of Century will look different. Century is becoming a brand.
Toyota is separating Century and turning it into a new premium brand. It will be positioned quite high. Just above Lexus. This is confirmed by none other than Toyota’s Akio Toyoda. According to Toyoda, positioning Century as the ‘highest premium brand’ gives Lexus more room to maneuver. Century will become ‘the top of the top’, says Toyoda. Whether that means Century will become a brand with which Toyota targets brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce remains to be seen.
With a strikingly styled concept model – of which Toyota has already shown pieces – Century presents itself as a new brand during the Japan Mobility Show. We conclude with a new fact about the Lexus LS Concept that debuts at the show. The S in LS always stood for Sedan, but in this case, it stands for Space. The LS Concept is therefore not a sedan, but a – brace yourself – MPV-like vehicle with six seats and six wheels.