Click for more luxury.
Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) today unveiled is new fourth generation Century model as it began accepting orders. The new Century, well it looks to AutoInformed to be a full-size SUV – launches during 2023 while the Century sedan will still be available. The new model of the Century will be fully customizable on a global basis.
“Today marks a special moment for a car at the very pinnacle of the Toyota portfolio. Century is a singular automobile representing the height of Japanese sensibilities. Born as the pride of Toyota, Century has become the pride of Japan. It takes a nation to build a Century. And that nation is changing. But to understand the future, we must first understand the past. Every great product is created by great people,” said Simon Humphries, of the Toyota Board of Directors at the premier.
Click for more.
Given its history and now its formidable global sales potential as a chauffeur-driven or personally driven luxury vehicle for politicians, rock stars, athletes and even royalty, Century is potentially a breakthrough product. These are people who need to work, and need to rest. Their entrance and exit from an event is often under intense public scrutiny and debate. This will give global automakers – notably the British, German and US based marques in whatever group ownership – a serious challenge to their hegemony in this exclusive domain.
The Century debuted in 1967 as Toyota’s premium chauffeur-driven car. Century commemorated the centenary of the birth of Sakichi Toyoda, founder of the Toyota Group. At that time in post-war Japan, the chauffeur car market was dominated by Western luxury brands. Toyota – with only a few decades of car making experience – set out to create a completely new luxury Japanese vehicle. The first-generation Century was built with the best technology Japan had to offer at the time and became the Emperor’s car. It stayed in production for 30 years.
“It was based on the concept of a dignified design incorporating traditional Japanese aesthetics combined with a human-centered approach to achieve outstanding quietness and comfort. For more than five decades, the Century has served as Japan’s chauffeur car of choice, embodying an unrivaled spirit of omotenashi, or hospitality, that ensures its important passengers reach their destinations in comfort,” Toyota said.
Technically the Century is sophisticated with newly developed 3.5-liter V6 plug-in hybrid four-wheel drive design. The hybrid system is designed to function as a BEV for everyday use and as an HEV for long-distance travel, making it an ideal powertrain for a chauffeur-driven vehicle. Toyota says it is the quietest vehicle it has ever built.
Click for more.
Century can be driven not only by a chauffeur, but also as a driver’s car for personal pleasure. The four-wheel steering system “Dynamic Rear Steering” provides easy handling at low speeds and seamless, natural handling at medium to high speeds. A so-called Rear Comfort mode on the suspension for passengers in the rear is available for the first time. In addition, the Rear Comfort mode assists braking control to suppress jolts when the vehicle comes to a halt. Something AutoInformed wryly and respectfully notes that used to be part of the training that Roll-Royce provided to the chauffeurs of the people who owned them.
A newly developed luggage compartment There are fully reclining rear seats and the rear doors that open to a wide 75-degree angle and a sweeping cabin floor provide excellent ease of entry and exit. There is also anther choice of rear doors. There is an automatic sliding one that allows a grand exit in full profile view. In addition, automatic retractable power steps and C-pillar grips also support entry and exit by rear-seat passengers.
Kuruma no mirai wo kaete iko! Translated means changing the future of cars in an often-stodgy market. The sales goal is modest – 30 Centuries a month, but the future is unknown. (AutoInformed: Spirit of Ecstasy is Redesigned for Rolls-Royce Spectre EV; World’s First Electric Bentleys to be Built by Lunaz)
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Century – Toyota is Stalking the Global Limousine Market
Click for more luxury.
Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) today unveiled is new fourth generation Century model as it began accepting orders. The new Century, well it looks to AutoInformed to be a full-size SUV – launches during 2023 while the Century sedan will still be available. The new model of the Century will be fully customizable on a global basis.
“Today marks a special moment for a car at the very pinnacle of the Toyota portfolio. Century is a singular automobile representing the height of Japanese sensibilities. Born as the pride of Toyota, Century has become the pride of Japan. It takes a nation to build a Century. And that nation is changing. But to understand the future, we must first understand the past. Every great product is created by great people,” said Simon Humphries, of the Toyota Board of Directors at the premier.
Click for more.
Given its history and now its formidable global sales potential as a chauffeur-driven or personally driven luxury vehicle for politicians, rock stars, athletes and even royalty, Century is potentially a breakthrough product. These are people who need to work, and need to rest. Their entrance and exit from an event is often under intense public scrutiny and debate. This will give global automakers – notably the British, German and US based marques in whatever group ownership – a serious challenge to their hegemony in this exclusive domain.
The Century debuted in 1967 as Toyota’s premium chauffeur-driven car. Century commemorated the centenary of the birth of Sakichi Toyoda, founder of the Toyota Group. At that time in post-war Japan, the chauffeur car market was dominated by Western luxury brands. Toyota – with only a few decades of car making experience – set out to create a completely new luxury Japanese vehicle. The first-generation Century was built with the best technology Japan had to offer at the time and became the Emperor’s car. It stayed in production for 30 years.
“It was based on the concept of a dignified design incorporating traditional Japanese aesthetics combined with a human-centered approach to achieve outstanding quietness and comfort. For more than five decades, the Century has served as Japan’s chauffeur car of choice, embodying an unrivaled spirit of omotenashi, or hospitality, that ensures its important passengers reach their destinations in comfort,” Toyota said.
Technically the Century is sophisticated with newly developed 3.5-liter V6 plug-in hybrid four-wheel drive design. The hybrid system is designed to function as a BEV for everyday use and as an HEV for long-distance travel, making it an ideal powertrain for a chauffeur-driven vehicle. Toyota says it is the quietest vehicle it has ever built.
Click for more.
Century can be driven not only by a chauffeur, but also as a driver’s car for personal pleasure. The four-wheel steering system “Dynamic Rear Steering” provides easy handling at low speeds and seamless, natural handling at medium to high speeds. A so-called Rear Comfort mode on the suspension for passengers in the rear is available for the first time. In addition, the Rear Comfort mode assists braking control to suppress jolts when the vehicle comes to a halt. Something AutoInformed wryly and respectfully notes that used to be part of the training that Roll-Royce provided to the chauffeurs of the people who owned them.
A newly developed luggage compartment There are fully reclining rear seats and the rear doors that open to a wide 75-degree angle and a sweeping cabin floor provide excellent ease of entry and exit. There is also anther choice of rear doors. There is an automatic sliding one that allows a grand exit in full profile view. In addition, automatic retractable power steps and C-pillar grips also support entry and exit by rear-seat passengers.
Kuruma no mirai wo kaete iko! Translated means changing the future of cars in an often-stodgy market. The sales goal is modest – 30 Centuries a month, but the future is unknown. (AutoInformed: Spirit of Ecstasy is Redesigned for Rolls-Royce Spectre EV; World’s First Electric Bentleys to be Built by Lunaz)
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.