Toyota is not going to pursue sales volume with Century, even by premium/luxury standards. They want to gradually create recognition for the Century name, which is important for Toyota. I don't think they should/will christen it Lexus Century. Toyota can afford to let the Century stand alone in international markets, fostering brand awareness at its own pace.
If the crown sport were to come here it would probably start at around $34,000. Instead of it ever coming here they’d probably send it over to Lexus for them to build a next gen UX on its platform.
The last thing we Americans need is another super expensive luxury vehicle that will cost almost 100k. No thanks. Bring back the Yaris and sell it brand new for under 20k, that's what poor working class Americans like me need!
If true, this would a super exciting news! We had such a blast going over the Century in Japan! Let's hope it shows up here.... I will have to save up a LOT to be able to buy this car!
I think Toyota is making the right move on this one. The Century should be sold at Lexus dealers because a regular Toyota dealer could not give the customer service a Century customer is expecting. Lexus dealers are much better equipped to handle that kind of clientele. Nissan should have done this with the GT-R. I’m a believer that the GT-R should have been sold and serviced at Infiniti dealers. Also… when Maybach was its own brand, there was a dedicated area in a select few Mercedes dealers for Maybach customers.
I agree. Nissan had the chance to make a 4-door performance GT-R flagship for Infiniti back in 2009. The only other performance '4-door coupe' at the time was the Panamera which was just introduced as well. Too bad they couldn't capitalize on that opportunity or others following (like Project Black among many noteworthy concepts) that could've potentially revived the brand. Even now, the rate they're going is too slow. They need a new product onslaught. Genesis is doing everything Infiniti should have done.
@@chiemekaa Infiniti teased some absolutely insane vehicles. My personal favorite is the Q50 Eau Rouge which is basically a Q50 with the GT-R engine in it. That would have sent shock waves to AMG and M but they never followed through on any of them. I’m sure if the Eau Rouge or the Q60 Project Black S came out the brand might not be struggling as much. But Nissan had very strict rules that nothing was allowed to compete with the GT-R’s performance.
@@michaelnash2972 That's the thing. Nothing else can compete with the GT-R's performance. It sits on a unique platform, and even if it were adopted for Infiniti, performance would be slightly less on account of the additional weight to make it more luxury. The frustrating thing is that they do the very same at Nissan. The Warrior concept came out when the Raptor was the only such on the market. That was the perfect branch out that could've expanded the Nismo off-road lineup. Imagine what a Frontier/X-terra Warrior would have looked like. But instead they went with XD.
I think about how the Land Cruiser was kind of a hush-hush car wealthy people would buy and presumably Toyota dealers did ok selling to those clients. A quiet office in back where there's an assigned Century representative might be ok. I wouldn't mind!😅
I, for one, would not want to custom order my Century. I'd rather buy an all-same-fully-optioned Century and just pick the exterior and interior colors to my own taste. Keep it simple and keep them coming.
@@naveenthemachinethe EV6 isn't one of 500 exotic hand made of carbon fiber magnesium and titanium the EV6 is faster than an Enzo, LFA Carrera GT, F1 etc. MAKE SENSE? But there is a reason why it doesn't cost the same as those numbers on a spec sheet aren't everything. Only someone who actually knows about cars understands this. SMH
@@theroyalcrown9165 you are absolutely correct 💯. What makes a exotic car is its engineering design story driving experience sound and more. LFA was a excellent a super car then and still is. Again Just like you said its not always about the spec sheet. Sadly arguing with people like him will only ruin your health. Instead let this loser sink to his death
I'm Japanese living in North America. I buy Toyota/Lexus 4x4s for adventure and winter driving, but my daily driver has been Land Rovers for years. I currently have a GX 550 OT that has very underwhelming interior, so if Lexus gets this right, I'd love to try something alternative to Land Rover for my daily😊
Yeah I think the interior quality of the GX was intentionally kept mediocre to justify the existence of the LX. I mean it's ok but for an $82k+ it could be better. I wish they would just discontinue the LX for the US and make at least the Luxury plus GX interior nicer.
I actually like the Toyota more. Century has always been Toyota. They should just sell it under Toyota, since Toyota has always been a luxury company, even more so than Lexus in offshore markets
@@JokerG16 makes sense to discontinue it. The LX is like a weirdly tech bloated and gimmicky GX that isn't quite as good as a GX in most ways except where they've intentionally had to neuter the GX (like interior quality), one of Lexus's most important products, so they can justify the existence of the LX - with sales volumes so low it's basically a rounding error.
@ yeah i agree. the LX570 stood out and was the pinnacle. this new LX600 just doesn’t have that it factor anymore. the new GX has a way better interior layout (even has massage seats!), and is smaller than the competition. it’s extremely expensive but seemingly nobody wants it lol. plus they now have the TX which also has 3 row seating and is bigger. so this will probably be the last LX.
Remember the old saying? "If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it." That will be the mantra at the dealership. There will be no negotiations-it will be take it or leave it. And you will have to get on a waitlist-I guarantee it!
Toyota should absolutely not ruin the Century name by diluting it as part of the Lexus nameplate. Lexus has focused the F trims and models to sportiness. Lexus is already a luxury automaker so if they want to go more upscale/upmarket, I think it's a smart move to bring the Century brand over since it's new and fresh to the American market. It will not carry over the connotations of being associated with old people. Buyers in their late thirties or early forties with a small family could come into a Lexus dealer searching for an SUV. They can be offered a Lexus GX/TX/LX OR if they really want to treat themselves, they can get a CENTURY!
Because there’s so many 30-40 something’s, where EACH person earns a 6-figure income. And - have paid off most of their mortgages, And college student loan debt. Riiigghhht
@@nextleveljourney6612 These Centuries will likely not be high volume models. I know I’m in a bubble but all of my friends (Doctors, Attorneys, Accountants, and Engineers) between 34 and 37 can afford to get a vehicle like this but Lexus does not offer a comparable vehicle so instead they get a G-Wagon or Land Rover or Porsche Cayenne.
A Toyota customised hand built car would sell well , I see a lot of JDM Century’s here in Australia, I’m looking to buy a v12 to go with my 1995 Crown .
Doesnt it force businesses to work with usa manufacturers and if they dont want to which is most likely gonna happen they pay the tariffs to work with chinese manufacturers
@@JDMSwervo2001is it unfair that they own the production process from start to finish? It’s a lot like how railroad tycoons and Henry ford got to be so successful. They owned the process, not these contractors and sub contractors and sub dom sub contractors
@@kwillee93it's definitely not unfair that they own the whole integrated supply chain for production. Our corporations gave all of that to them for short term gains. It is unfair that they don't play under the same rules as the rest of the world like the EPA. But tariffs or not we've seen that time and time again it is more profitable to produce the cars in the locale they are sold or as close as possible. Look at Toyota. You might block them temporarily. But you won't be able to block them when China wants to build a factory here.
I think what their trying to do with this and the Gt3'ish car their working on , and aswell as some other cars im pretty sure are coming down the pipeline. Is specifically to reinvigorate the Toyota name plate. Really, how long has it been since, Toyota has completely made a exiting car? At least from the top of my head, not since the mid 2000's. To me, Toyota doesn't only mean an affordable, reliable car. True, the majority of their cars are supposed to be reliable and affordable, but it should also have a meaning to it. You're supposed to be able to buy a cheap Corrola and have a sense of pride knowing that the same brand is capable of making the Celica, Supra, and yes, the Century. I understand that it's more of an American thing for Toyota's more flashy cars to be branded as a Lexus. But I feel like Lexus already has enough of those cars. Toyota on the other hand, really needs the image. I think selling the Century in the Lexus dealerships should be enough. Last thing promise, The Century has always been a Toyota anyway, that's what adds to its mistique.
The tariffs are the right move. Build here in the United states. Tesla still has the best overall tech in EV's and there's nothing going on in China that can't be done here. Doing it domestically may be a bit more expensive, but will be better in every other way, from workplace conditions/pay to sustainability and everything in between. We should be willing to pay a bit more to save American jobs. Decoupling as much as possible from China, in the long run, will reduce the geopolitical leverage they have over us and benefit North/American workers. Raw materials and batteries should be mined and built here. And so on. All they do is cheat, steal, and manipulate markets to their advantage. No reason to go on rewarding that behavior. If not for western firms moving in and chasing fat margins, the Chinese would still be struggling to build tractors they copied from the Russians. You can thank our greedy elites on both sides of the aisle for China's meteoric rise and all these problems we have now could have been avoided had NAFTA and the misguided normalization of economic relations with China not been implemented. Onshore, onshore, onshore. And tariffs. Short term pain for long term gain.
The Mazda EZ-6 is actually a Deepal L07 (an EV brand by Changan). It came about a year before, and it is exactly the same car rebadged as a Mazda now. But it is an excellent car for the price.
Since Lexus doesn't use the nameplate of their Toyota brethren (Soarer, Celsior, Aristo, Altezza etc), it seems logical that the Century would get a Lexus-like rename. Like a CX 550, CX 600HL type thing. Or, due to the price range, maybe it leans more towards the three-digit naming of the LFA heritage and the Century gets a CFA badge. Cool stuff!
But Americans will be shallow “what? You expect me to pay 145,000 for an SUV 🚙- while there’s a Corolla on one side and a RAV4 on the other?” The salespeople will need to be ‘bespoke’ and that’s also a cognitive dissonance.
The Century SUV seems like a more budget-friendly version of the Cullinan from the side & a more expensive Genesis GV80 from the front & rear with the split LED headlights & taillights
interesting - a V6 hybrid. I'd love to see Honda produce an atkinson 3.0L V6 hybrid based off the engine in the Acura TLX-S for use in their van/large trucks and larger Acura cars. Obviously, not for $170,000 though. btw - the biggest reason cars are so expensive is the huge amount of tech additions, new crash protections, features, etc... in addition to inflation, thats making cars cost so much.
$170k for something really refined and understated feels like a pretty popular niche. There's just not that much in the segment. The GLS/X7 tend to be more showy and also performance oriented, Bentley's and Rolls Royces are 2-4x that much and also more showy, G-Wagons are very showy and like to cling to their ruggedness. A Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade sort of work but are also more oriented around practical family hauling than really high luxury. It wouldn't be a huge seller but I could see it selling 3,000-10,000 cars a year in the US, which is relatively good for that segment.
Toyota considered the Century when they were thinking about building their luxury brand outside of Japan. But the Century is more of a chauffeur vehicle built to order and Toyota felt they needed more of a driver vehicle which is why they continued with the development of the Lexus LS. With a price tag of $220K, it wouldn’t be a good time to sell that in the US right now when lots of people are struggling. And there are many brands like Rolls Royce and Bentley Toyota will be competing with to win those few sales.
When it comes to ultra luxury vehicles its not about volume whatsoever. Toyota knows what they are doing very well and importantly century brand Will be sold in other Markets as well. Overall north America is just a after thought
I liked the Land Cruiser since it was a luxury vehicle, but was low key and not at all pretentious since it carried the Toyota nameplate. Perhaps the Century could serve the same purpose.
Kirk I don’t give a damn what anyone says…that CENTURY looks better than a lot of those so called top notch names so in my opinion whatever the asking price of it should be damn more..💩that’s a top notch masterpiece weather or not its called Toyota or Lexus 😁
Why now? Reason: the enormous success of the Bentley Bentayga, Rolls-Royce Cullinan and even the Mercedes-Maybach GLS. Toyota doesn't want to be left behind in this niche, but highly profitable market, even if Lexus Century crossover costs US$150,000.
It doesn't really have a Lexus design or driving identity though. It's a big, square soft, chauffeur driven vehicle. No Lexus curves or creases in sight. Century seems more like it's own brand identity separate from both Toyota and Lexus. I think it should just be called Century SUV. Sell it through Lexus dealers, but make Century a standalone brand/product.
Lexus already has the LS600 which is flagship luxury chauffeur limo. Lexus top the line suv lx600 has a 4 seater chauffeur limo style Trim. Fact of the matter is only Way century is going to work as a ultra luxury brand is. If its sold as a Lexus century. Best example is what happened to Maybach. It failed has as a individual brand. It only become successful after it was called Mercedes Maybach.
The JDM Toyota Century is so special. They are like the Chinese Hongqi. They are used by high ranking officials and the Imperial families. I think the Toyota Crown is the step down from Century. Some of the JDM Crown are really nice and I’ve seen often used by Japanese CEOs and Government officials too.
Wouldn’t they just call it the Century, not Toyota in the naming or logos etc at all? This would be like selling a Maybach at a Merc dealership especially in the past when they have their own styling. I would think there wouldn’t be any reference to Toyota when they are selling it. I know the Australian market is tiny but would be awesome if they also brought it here
I always thought Toyota's flagship in Japan was the Crown models. I am not an EV person but if we "must move to electric" and then they halt the sale of affordable EV cars, that's just pure hypocrisy.
It’s interesting that the Century interior is more like the Lexus models in the past. Today’s Lexus models just don’t seem to have that nice of an interior. That said I couldn’t afford the Century.
The Century is the Japanese "Automobile of State", the conveyance of national leaders, elected officials, royalty, and the very wealthy. The Century nameplate holds a place of honor in Japan and I hope Toyota moves cautiously if that name is to expand onto a line of vehicles available in markets worldwide.
Decades ago, before they copied the BMW/Mercedes naming convention for luxury cars, Japanese would just focus on the name of the car and not the brand. And the car brands would spend a lot of money promoting the name. For example, Skyline was marketed as its own name. And GT-R was further marketed separately. Nissan promoted names such as Cima, Gloria, Fairlady. For Toyota it was Celsior, Soarer, Aristo. And when they promoted these names, they may have dropped the parent company completely off the advertisement. In fact these cars had their own badges and often did not have any badge from the parent company. Look up an 80s soarer - really cool looking winged badge. Perhaps the Japanese automakers simply copied what the Americans were doing. For example Cadillac… many ppl did not even know it was under General Motors. IMHO, the Century name has more power/prestige over the Toyota or Lexus names in the Japan market. Ppl will just say Century, they won’t say Toyota Century. Well at least ppl my age and older.
It should just be called the Century, and sold inside of Lexus dealerships similar to how Maybachs were sold. Lexus is just a made-up name, the Century brand actually has *real* pedigree/history. If it’s successful, they can expand to Century specific dealerships.
@@Mylifeislegendary982vd3-vI bro I respect your devotion to the brand... Like I said i'm a Toyota guy myself but there's simply no comparison between this Century SUV and a Cullinan (not even series 1). The price delta between the 2 vehicles is actually justified in this case. Cullinan is at an entirely different level. As long as a customer can afford a Cullinan and doesn't care about their "carbon footprint" there's a zero percent chance they will settle for a Century. (myself included) Even if I never saw the new Century (or the series 2 Cullinan) just knowing that Toyota ditched the V12 for a hybrid 3.5L V6 in the Century while the Cullinan retains its V12 engine that alone would be the end of that discussion for me. Visually, on the exterior and interior, in terms of class/opulence, the Cullinan also destroys the Century. Sorry bro, it is what it is. It's like comparing LC500 to an LFA. LC500 is fantastic but LFA is an entirely different level.
@@yama-fanboy first off all bro . I have no devotion to Toyota or any brand. Got it My friend. Nothing personal. Century SUV has excellent ultra levels of luxury comfort refinement Craftsman and more. Fact is people who bought the New century SUV obviously feels it is good as any cullinan. I never said century SUV is better than cullinan . Instead what I am trying to Tell you is its a ultra luxury SUV in the same segment.
@@naveenthemachine I do have fact's numbers and more unlike you who is posting misinformation all the time . If anything you Naveen Krishnamurthy all you are is a good for nothing person who wants attention. While driving a 2002 geo metro. Its you who always gets schooled online. because of your misinformation and ignorance. Change your username name from naveenthemachine to Naveen lord of the fools who lives in the Momma's basement for free while Lecturing people. I am not going boli my blood and health over glasses wearing fake uneducated unemployed nerd 🤓 like you.
@von98i•No need to bring the GS back whatsoever. ES is a excellent luxury sedan and selling very well by focusing on comfort tech features refinement luxury quality and mpg. while G80 is selling ultra poorly and only selling around 274-390 month individualy. If people really want a sporty luxury sedan they would buy a E class 5 series or A6.
Rebadging a Crown to anything else is blasphemy IMO. The most recent releases of GX were confusing and underwhelming because GX, 4Runner, Land Cruiser are all a confusing mix of the same car. So mixing brand name could be a massive mistake. Crown is Maybach/Rolls Royce level, Lexus isn't, including the LS, which has taken more sporty instead of serene driving experience as years passed by. They should set up exclusive Lexus (or Toyota) dealerships in every state and that offer the bespoke experience of ordering a Crown and distinguish it as a separate-ish brand
Toyota will not be able to use the Century name in the United States because Buick has the claim to the Century name here. I would go with the Lexus YX name for this SUV. It should not be just a plugin hybrid, however.
the Toyota Century was never sold in the US due to Buick already having a mid size/full size sedan called the Century my dad drove a used 1976 Century when I was a toddler in the late 1980s and that was a rear wheel drive mid tier luxury sedan switched to front wheel drive in 1982 between 1973-1996 the Buick Century sold roughly 4,000,000 units in the US coupes were dropped in 1993 due to low production numbers only around 600 coupes were sold in the final year similar to the Cadillac Coupe Deville selling 4,700 its final year also 1993 though a decade prior that model was selling 60k annually and between Coupe and Sedan was selling roughly 150,000 Deville's per year roughly 1/2 of what Cadillac's total production was were Deville's in the early 1980s
I strongly disagree with you Kirk, keep it exclusively named a Century. Toyota shouldn't change what they've done for decades in Japan to accommodate U.S. Buyers, we need to change and stop acting like we own the world. Yes, sell it through the Lexus Dealership Network because of the luxury experience and support. I say this as a United States Citizen born and raised, and as a person who has a Lexus Dealership a half mile from my home in a suburb 15 miles northwest of Downtown Austin, TX.
No what. Toyota is in the business of making money and getting sales. Importantly when Mercedes tried to sell Maybach has its own brand it failed. Now they are selling it has Mercedes Maybach. Sure in Japan or some middle east market they have no issues with Toyota selling a ultra luxury sedan or SUV . But not the case outside those market.
Japan and maybe middle east yes century might do just fine as its own brand.however outside those markets it has to be sold has a Lexus century because selling a 170k SUV WIth a Toyota badge is not going to working. look what happened to great Maybach it failed horribly and now its successful. because its sold as Mercedes Maybach. You have to know this. Nothing personal
@Mylifeislegendary982-vd3vI ; Thank you for your explanation. I am not saying it should be sold as a 'Toyota' Century. I am suggesting it should be sold as 'Century'. There is Toyota and Lexus sits above Toyota. Maybe Century can be made and marketed to sit above Lexus.
@@oluseyigearhead4466 I understand what you are saying my friend. Fact is century name is not that big or known enough outside Japan or middle east to survive as its own brand. specialy in North America. Overall selling it has a Lexus century is the safe option. Importantly Also push Lexus upmarket as well. Again nothing personal brother
Lexus Century??? HELLLLL NOOOOOO!!!!! THIS TOTALLY DISRUPTS THE TOYOTA HISTORY. If they need to do that to sell in the US, then the US doesn't deserve the Century. The Century badge is way bigger than Lexus. Calling it a Lexus Century is like saying a Toyota LS. Toyota has done some crazy things lately but if they do that, they'd have totally lost their way.
Seriously Jarro. Mercedes literally sold Maybach as its own brand for years. It failed horribly and was a financial disaster. Now only reason Maybach is doing better than ever. Is simply because its called Mercedes Maybach. If anything its people like you who has lost their way and can't understand how the basic market works !.
Toyota is not going to pursue sales volume with Century, even by premium/luxury standards. They want to gradually create recognition for the Century name, which is important for Toyota. I don't think they should/will christen it Lexus Century. Toyota can afford to let the Century stand alone in international markets, fostering brand awareness at its own pace.
If it's a Lexus it will most likely badged as a VX 930h or something
Agreed!
But I guess they'd make it available in the US through Lexus dealerships.
Toyota needs to quit fooling around and bring over the crown sport
Yes, yes, yes, yes!!!
I approve this message. I’m tryna have one so bad.
would love the crown sedan as well, not just the crossover
@@TheSemiArtisticPumayes the sedan is a superb quality car, so much better build than new 5 series and E class.
If the crown sport were to come here it would probably start at around $34,000. Instead of it ever coming here they’d probably send it over to Lexus for them to build a next gen UX on its platform.
Toyota Century and Lexus LFR is the future best duo 🔥
The Toyota Crown sedan needs to make it to America, even as a low-production model, it’s a very stunning flagship sedan that is comfortable to drive.
we already have the crown
@@JokerG16 not the rwd sedan
@@mark5nb yeah we need the real one
@@mark5nbIs the Crown still RWD? I thought they moved the current generation to FWD
The last thing we Americans need is another super expensive luxury vehicle that will cost almost 100k. No thanks. Bring back the Yaris and sell it brand new for under 20k, that's what poor working class Americans like me need!
If true, this would a super exciting news! We had such a blast going over the Century in Japan! Let's hope it shows up here.... I will have to save up a LOT to be able to buy this car!
You will have to trade in your entire fleet to buy one Century.
Century for the Win
I think Toyota is making the right move on this one. The Century should be sold at Lexus dealers because a regular Toyota dealer could not give the customer service a Century customer is expecting. Lexus dealers are much better equipped to handle that kind of clientele. Nissan should have done this with the GT-R. I’m a believer that the GT-R should have been sold and serviced at Infiniti dealers. Also… when Maybach was its own brand, there was a dedicated area in a select few Mercedes dealers for Maybach customers.
I agree. Nissan had the chance to make a 4-door performance GT-R flagship for Infiniti back in 2009. The only other performance '4-door coupe' at the time was the Panamera which was just introduced as well. Too bad they couldn't capitalize on that opportunity or others following (like Project Black among many noteworthy concepts) that could've potentially revived the brand. Even now, the rate they're going is too slow. They need a new product onslaught. Genesis is doing everything Infiniti should have done.
@@chiemekaa Infiniti teased some absolutely insane vehicles. My personal favorite is the Q50 Eau Rouge which is basically a Q50 with the GT-R engine in it. That would have sent shock waves to AMG and M but they never followed through on any of them. I’m sure if the Eau Rouge or the Q60 Project Black S came out the brand might not be struggling as much. But Nissan had very strict rules that nothing was allowed to compete with the GT-R’s performance.
@@michaelnash2972
That's the thing. Nothing else can compete with the GT-R's performance. It sits on a unique platform, and even if it were adopted for Infiniti, performance would be slightly less on account of the additional weight to make it more luxury. The frustrating thing is that they do the very same at Nissan. The Warrior concept came out when the Raptor was the only such on the market. That was the perfect branch out that could've expanded the Nismo off-road lineup. Imagine what a Frontier/X-terra Warrior would have looked like. But instead they went with XD.
I think about how the Land Cruiser was kind of a hush-hush car wealthy people would buy and presumably Toyota dealers did ok selling to those clients. A quiet office in back where there's an assigned Century representative might be ok. I wouldn't mind!😅
I, for one, would not want to custom order my Century. I'd rather buy an all-same-fully-optioned Century and just pick the exterior and interior colors to my own taste. Keep it simple and keep them coming.
LFA: Am I a joke to you?
😂
@@naveenthemachine 3.5 seconds is still really fast. Ur gonna call a kia ev6 gt slow then 😂🤣
@@naveenthemachinethe EV6 isn't one of 500 exotic hand made of carbon fiber magnesium and titanium the EV6 is faster than an Enzo, LFA Carrera GT, F1 etc. MAKE SENSE? But there is a reason why it doesn't cost the same as those numbers on a spec sheet aren't everything. Only someone who actually knows about cars understands this. SMH
@@theroyalcrown9165 you are absolutely correct 💯. What makes a exotic car is its engineering design story driving experience sound and more. LFA was a excellent a super car then and still is. Again Just like you said its not always about the spec sheet. Sadly arguing with people like him will only ruin your health. Instead let this loser sink to his death
@@naveenthemachine following your logic, Zeekr 007 costs 42130$ and has 0-60 in 2,84 sec. So this EV will dust uour Kia.
@@unkemptharold9264 if that’s the case then sure. But does it charge very fast
I think the century will do good with redesigned body panels and turned into a Lexus
I'm Japanese living in North America. I buy Toyota/Lexus 4x4s for adventure and winter driving, but my daily driver has been Land Rovers for years. I currently have a GX 550 OT that has very underwhelming interior, so if Lexus gets this right, I'd love to try something alternative to Land Rover for my daily😊
Yeah I think the interior quality of the GX was intentionally kept mediocre to justify the existence of the LX. I mean it's ok but for an $82k+ it could be better. I wish they would just discontinue the LX for the US and make at least the Luxury plus GX interior nicer.
@@omnimoeish they put LX because they want to rivaling infiniti Q80 because land cruiser 300 still rivaling nissan armada
Looking forward to seeing this come true.
Security is more important than cheap cars. I agree with our US government. Thank you
It’s not about security it’s about money and power period
Happy Early Birthday Kirk! Wishing you all the continued success! 🎉
Thanks 🙏
The century should be a Lexus imo and should be called the LQ, since we already got the LS, LX, and LC name plate 👍🏽
I think they should also give it a custom designed badge
the LX is more than likely gonna be discontinued.
I actually like the Toyota more. Century has always been Toyota. They should just sell it under Toyota, since Toyota has always been a luxury company, even more so than Lexus in offshore markets
@@JokerG16 makes sense to discontinue it. The LX is like a weirdly tech bloated and gimmicky GX that isn't quite as good as a GX in most ways except where they've intentionally had to neuter the GX (like interior quality), one of Lexus's most important products, so they can justify the existence of the LX - with sales volumes so low it's basically a rounding error.
@ yeah i agree. the LX570 stood out and was the pinnacle. this new LX600 just doesn’t have that it factor anymore. the new GX has a way better interior layout (even has massage seats!), and is smaller than the competition. it’s extremely expensive but seemingly nobody wants it lol. plus they now have the TX which also has 3 row seating and is bigger. so this will probably be the last LX.
Remember the old saying? "If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it." That will be the mantra at the dealership. There will be no negotiations-it will be take it or leave it. And you will have to get on a waitlist-I guarantee it!
Keep that up and they’ll end up closing their doors for good.
12:08 curious ad placement. 😂
Kirk.....Do you suspect the Big 3 are the main reason the US will not allow Chinese manufacturing to open here ?
It's the UAW to be specific. Stellantis is arguing to allow Chinese manufacturing and is under investigation for having BYD tour their plants
@@worldlinerai And, with the Biden administeration's support.....
@@worldlineraiBasically advocating for them because they're getting something out of it.
you forget that in 90s that Toyota and honda want kill domestic brand back then , thats why your goverment gave them high taxes for foreign brands
I want the Toyota century sedan WAYYY more then SUV but I doubt it'll make it's way to the USA other then 25 year old imports
Century should be the Bentley, Rolls Royce and Maybach for Toyota and Japan
Toyota should absolutely not ruin the Century name by diluting it as part of the Lexus nameplate. Lexus has focused the F trims and models to sportiness. Lexus is already a luxury automaker so if they want to go more upscale/upmarket, I think it's a smart move to bring the Century brand over since it's new and fresh to the American market. It will not carry over the connotations of being associated with old people. Buyers in their late thirties or early forties with a small family could come into a Lexus dealer searching for an SUV. They can be offered a Lexus GX/TX/LX OR if they really want to treat themselves, they can get a CENTURY!
Because there’s so many 30-40 something’s, where EACH person earns a
6-figure income.
And - have paid off most of their mortgages,
And college student loan debt. Riiigghhht
@@nextleveljourney6612 These Centuries will likely not be high volume models. I know I’m in a bubble but all of my friends (Doctors, Attorneys, Accountants, and Engineers) between 34 and 37 can afford to get a vehicle like this but Lexus does not offer a comparable vehicle so instead they get a G-Wagon or Land Rover or Porsche Cayenne.
A Toyota customised hand built car would sell well , I see a lot of JDM Century’s here in Australia, I’m looking to buy a v12 to go with my 1995 Crown .
Kirk, Will Toyota be able to use the 'Century' name in a market recently populated with the Buick Century? 🤔
Can't wait for car dealers to start taking EBT.
Lexus Century has nice ring to it🎉
I am generally anti-tariff across the board, the decision to impose tariffs on Chinese tech is the right move.
Agreed. People don’t realize that they have an unfair advantage and they really don’t care.
Damn right! 👏🏼
Doesnt it force businesses to work with usa manufacturers and if they dont want to which is most likely gonna happen they pay the tariffs to work with chinese manufacturers
@@JDMSwervo2001is it unfair that they own the production process from start to finish? It’s a lot like how railroad tycoons and Henry ford got to be so successful. They owned the process, not these contractors and sub contractors and sub dom sub contractors
@@kwillee93it's definitely not unfair that they own the whole integrated supply chain for production. Our corporations gave all of that to them for short term gains. It is unfair that they don't play under the same rules as the rest of the world like the EPA. But tariffs or not we've seen that time and time again it is more profitable to produce the cars in the locale they are sold or as close as possible. Look at Toyota. You might block them temporarily. But you won't be able to block them when China wants to build a factory here.
I think what their trying to do with this and the Gt3'ish car their working on , and aswell as some other cars im pretty sure are coming down the pipeline. Is specifically to reinvigorate the Toyota name plate. Really, how long has it been since, Toyota has completely made a exiting car? At least from the top of my head, not since the mid 2000's. To me, Toyota doesn't only mean an affordable, reliable car. True, the majority of their cars are supposed to be reliable and affordable, but it should also have a meaning to it. You're supposed to be able to buy a cheap Corrola and have a sense of pride knowing that the same brand is capable of making the Celica, Supra, and yes, the Century. I understand that it's more of an American thing for Toyota's more flashy cars to be branded as a Lexus. But I feel like Lexus already has enough of those cars. Toyota on the other hand, really needs the image. I think selling the Century in the Lexus dealerships should be enough. Last thing promise, The Century has always been a Toyota anyway, that's what adds to its mistique.
I think it should just be the Century name itself
Ill need a vehicle in Asia. Thanks for covering them anyway.
Definitely should be called Lexus Century
The tariffs are the right move. Build here in the United states. Tesla still has the best overall tech in EV's and there's nothing going on in China that can't be done here. Doing it domestically may be a bit more expensive, but will be better in every other way, from workplace conditions/pay to sustainability and everything in between. We should be willing to pay a bit more to save American jobs. Decoupling as much as possible from China, in the long run, will reduce the geopolitical leverage they have over us and benefit North/American workers. Raw materials and batteries should be mined and built here. And so on. All they do is cheat, steal, and manipulate markets to their advantage. No reason to go on rewarding that behavior. If not for western firms moving in and chasing fat margins, the Chinese would still be struggling to build tractors they copied from the Russians. You can thank our greedy elites on both sides of the aisle for China's meteoric rise and all these problems we have now could have been avoided had NAFTA and the misguided normalization of economic relations with China not been implemented. Onshore, onshore, onshore. And tariffs. Short term pain for long term gain.
Funny that when a Century is finally officially sold in America its an SUV 😂
should be a LEXUS in europe, usa, middle east and anywhere out of japan.
The Mazda EZ-6 is actually a Deepal L07 (an EV brand by Changan). It came about a year before, and it is exactly the same car rebadged as a Mazda now.
But it is an excellent car for the price.
I want the Century to come with the Century name and badge.
I bet it’ll just be called century
Since Lexus doesn't use the nameplate of their Toyota brethren (Soarer, Celsior, Aristo, Altezza etc), it seems logical that the Century would get a Lexus-like rename. Like a CX 550, CX 600HL type thing. Or, due to the price range, maybe it leans more towards the three-digit naming of the LFA heritage and the Century gets a CFA badge. Cool stuff!
Yes, it should be Lexus, but it rolls off better as the Toyota century
But Americans will be shallow “what? You expect me to pay 145,000 for an SUV 🚙- while there’s a Corolla on one side and a RAV4 on the other?”
The salespeople will need to be ‘bespoke’ and that’s also a cognitive dissonance.
@@nextleveljourney6612 agree; sell it at Lexus but just call it Century (so it’s implied as Lexus )
Kirk, you could be the bespoke Century salesman for all of South Florida…👍
The Century SUV seems like a more budget-friendly version of the Cullinan from the side & a more expensive Genesis GV80 from the front & rear with the split LED headlights & taillights
interesting - a V6 hybrid. I'd love to see Honda produce an atkinson 3.0L V6 hybrid based off the engine in the Acura TLX-S for use in their van/large trucks and larger Acura cars. Obviously, not for $170,000 though.
btw - the biggest reason cars are so expensive is the huge amount of tech additions, new crash protections, features, etc... in addition to inflation, thats making cars cost so much.
$170k for something really refined and understated feels like a pretty popular niche. There's just not that much in the segment. The GLS/X7 tend to be more showy and also performance oriented, Bentley's and Rolls Royces are 2-4x that much and also more showy, G-Wagons are very showy and like to cling to their ruggedness. A Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade sort of work but are also more oriented around practical family hauling than really high luxury. It wouldn't be a huge seller but I could see it selling 3,000-10,000 cars a year in the US, which is relatively good for that segment.
Why is your head filling half of the screen. After adding in text the cars have only 10% screen estate left.
Toyota considered the Century when they were thinking about building their luxury brand outside of Japan. But the Century is more of a chauffeur vehicle built to order and Toyota felt they needed more of a driver vehicle which is why they continued with the development of the Lexus LS.
With a price tag of $220K, it wouldn’t be a good time to sell that in the US right now when lots of people are struggling. And there are many brands like Rolls Royce and Bentley Toyota will be competing with to win those few sales.
When it comes to ultra luxury vehicles its not about volume whatsoever. Toyota knows what they are doing very well and importantly century brand Will be sold in other Markets as well. Overall north America is just a after thought
Hopefully a new Corolla is coming before the Century
I could see the Century sold at Lexus dealers as just the Century, maybe "Century By Lexus", and keeping it's unique badging
8:23
best part of the video
Nobody that’s into cars is excited about EV news. Hope they bring the Century here. It looks great
Those who know the Century brand know. Toyota is not interested in appealing to the wide Lexus base in the US. Century is up-up-upscale.
Infiniti made mistake for not putting the GTR under Infiniti
I liked the Land Cruiser since it was a luxury vehicle, but was low key and not at all pretentious since it carried the Toyota nameplate. Perhaps the Century could serve the same purpose.
Kirk, thanks for the update. I hope you and David have an opportunity to team up in the near future. I appreciate your combined insights.
Right on for LEXUS-CENTURY! This come from a retired 30 year Toyota Dealer. Not bragging-just saying.
Kirk I don’t give a damn what anyone says…that CENTURY looks better than a lot of those so called top notch names so in my opinion whatever the asking price of it should be damn more..💩that’s a top notch masterpiece weather or not its called Toyota or Lexus 😁
Why now? Reason: the enormous success of the Bentley Bentayga, Rolls-Royce Cullinan and even the Mercedes-Maybach GLS. Toyota doesn't want to be left behind in this niche, but highly profitable market, even if Lexus Century crossover costs US$150,000.
You are absolutely correct 💯 and for Toyota. Lexus century SUV and brand. Already its selling very well specially in Japan were its already sold out.
It doesn't really have a Lexus design or driving identity though. It's a big, square soft, chauffeur driven vehicle. No Lexus curves or creases in sight. Century seems more like it's own brand identity separate from both Toyota and Lexus. I think it should just be called Century SUV. Sell it through Lexus dealers, but make Century a standalone brand/product.
Lexus already has the LS600 which is flagship luxury chauffeur limo. Lexus top the line suv lx600 has a 4 seater chauffeur limo style Trim. Fact of the matter is only Way century is going to work as a ultra luxury brand is. If its sold as a Lexus century. Best example is what happened to Maybach. It failed has as a individual brand. It only become successful after it was called Mercedes Maybach.
By that logic, the LFA shouldn't have been a Lexus. Nor the HS nor the CT
The JDM Toyota Century is so special. They are like the Chinese Hongqi. They are used by high ranking officials and the Imperial families. I think the Toyota Crown is the step down from Century. Some of the JDM Crown are really nice and I’ve seen often used by Japanese CEOs and Government officials too.
Your channel is a source of inspiration and enjoyment. Keep it up, you're doing a great job!🔞♀️♀️
If o had the money I ll buy that instead any stupid luxury car that’s on market why reliability that ll doi it for me
Now way non Toyota fans would buy a $100K Toyota. I has to be a Lexus here in the US.
Wouldn’t they just call it the Century, not Toyota in the naming or logos etc at all? This would be like selling a Maybach at a Merc dealership especially in the past when they have their own styling. I would think there wouldn’t be any reference to Toyota when they are selling it.
I know the Australian market is tiny but would be awesome if they also brought it here
Good video
they should branded the Crown as Lexus too
I always thought Toyota's flagship in Japan was the Crown models.
I am not an EV person but if we "must move to electric" and then they halt the sale of affordable EV cars, that's just pure hypocrisy.
It’s interesting that the Century interior is more like the Lexus models in the past. Today’s Lexus models just don’t seem to have that nice of an interior. That said I couldn’t afford the Century.
Today Lexus interior's extremely luxurious and better than ever. While century sedan and SUV are Bentley levels of luxury.
Looking forward to that Civic si video to drop!
was the LFA considered a flagship ?
The Century is the Japanese "Automobile of State", the conveyance of national leaders, elected officials, royalty, and the very wealthy. The Century nameplate holds a place of honor in Japan and I hope Toyota moves cautiously if that name is to expand onto a line of vehicles available in markets worldwide.
Don't forget Yakuza
How about “Century by Lexus “?
Decades ago, before they copied the BMW/Mercedes naming convention for luxury cars, Japanese would just focus on the name of the car and not the brand. And the car brands would spend a lot of money promoting the name. For example, Skyline was marketed as its own name. And GT-R was further marketed separately. Nissan promoted names such as Cima, Gloria, Fairlady. For Toyota it was Celsior, Soarer, Aristo. And when they promoted these names, they may have dropped the parent company completely off the advertisement. In fact these cars had their own badges and often did not have any badge from the parent company. Look up an 80s soarer - really cool looking winged badge.
Perhaps the Japanese automakers simply copied what the Americans were doing. For example Cadillac… many ppl did not even know it was under General Motors.
IMHO, the Century name has more power/prestige over the Toyota or Lexus names in the Japan market. Ppl will just say Century, they won’t say Toyota Century. Well at least ppl my age and older.
Is the Century name available in the USA? What about Buick’s history with that name.
Doesn't Buick own Century in the US?
Kirk, how did Lexus dealers sell the $375,000 LFA 12~14 years ago? I am thinking it will be a similar approach for the Century.
I disagree. The Century should be it's own nameplate.
8:24 did kirk just hack your computer?
I’d rather have the sedan… Lexus really messed up the LS with the LS500…
It should just be called the Century, and sold inside of Lexus dealerships similar to how Maybachs were sold. Lexus is just a made-up name, the Century brand actually has *real* pedigree/history. If it’s successful, they can expand to Century specific dealerships.
If the century comes to the USA I’ll definitely get it. It be a good tax write off.
Section 179 boutta go crazy
bro I'm as die hard Toyota as it gets but for Toyota to claim that the Century is a competitor to the Culliinan is laughable. It's not even close.
People who brought the new century SUV obviously feels its a cullinan rival and a very good one. Laughable yay sure
@@Mylifeislegendary982vd3-vI bro I respect your devotion to the brand... Like I said i'm a Toyota guy myself but there's simply no comparison between this Century SUV and a Cullinan (not even series 1). The price delta between the 2 vehicles is actually justified in this case. Cullinan is at an entirely different level. As long as a customer can afford a Cullinan and doesn't care about their "carbon footprint" there's a zero percent chance they will settle for a Century. (myself included)
Even if I never saw the new Century (or the series 2 Cullinan) just knowing that Toyota ditched the V12 for a hybrid 3.5L V6 in the Century while the Cullinan retains its V12 engine that alone would be the end of that discussion for me. Visually, on the exterior and interior, in terms of class/opulence, the Cullinan also destroys the Century. Sorry bro, it is what it is. It's like comparing LC500 to an LFA. LC500 is fantastic but LFA is an entirely different level.
@@yama-fanboy first off all bro . I have no devotion to Toyota or any brand. Got it My friend. Nothing personal. Century SUV has excellent ultra levels of luxury comfort refinement Craftsman and more. Fact is people who bought the New century SUV obviously feels it is good as any cullinan. I never said century SUV is better than cullinan . Instead what I am trying to Tell you is its a ultra luxury SUV in the same segment.
@@naveenthemachine I do have fact's numbers and more unlike you who is posting misinformation all the time . If anything you Naveen Krishnamurthy all you are is a good for nothing person who wants attention. While driving a 2002 geo metro. Its you who always gets schooled online. because of your misinformation and ignorance. Change your username name from naveenthemachine to Naveen lord of the fools who lives in the Momma's basement for free while Lecturing people. I am not going boli my blood and health over glasses wearing fake uneducated unemployed nerd 🤓 like you.
Lexus should bring back the GS
@von98i•No need to bring the GS back whatsoever. ES is a excellent luxury sedan and selling very well by focusing on comfort tech features refinement luxury quality and mpg. while G80 is selling ultra poorly and only selling around 274-390 month individualy. If people really want a sporty luxury sedan they would buy a E class 5 series or A6.
Rebadging a Crown to anything else is blasphemy IMO. The most recent releases of GX were confusing and underwhelming because GX, 4Runner, Land Cruiser are all a confusing mix of the same car. So mixing brand name could be a massive mistake. Crown is Maybach/Rolls Royce level, Lexus isn't, including the LS, which has taken more sporty instead of serene driving experience as years passed by. They should set up exclusive Lexus (or Toyota) dealerships in every state and that offer the bespoke experience of ordering a Crown and distinguish it as a separate-ish brand
Toyota will not be able to use the Century name in the United States because Buick has the claim to the Century name here. I would go with the Lexus YX name for this SUV. It should not be just a plugin hybrid, however.
Wonder what they would call the Century, since that name is taken by Buick in the US.
Where tf do you live where you see a Bentley and Rolls Royce every other day ?!?!??
Florida,Southern California, New York, Chicago you see them all the time
@ maybe if you are commuting but I live in Newport Beach which is one of the most expensive areas in CA and even I don’t see a rolls everyday lol
the Toyota Century was never sold in the US due to Buick already having a mid size/full size sedan called the Century my dad drove a used 1976 Century when I was a toddler in the late 1980s and that was a rear wheel drive mid tier luxury sedan switched to front wheel drive in 1982 between 1973-1996 the Buick Century sold roughly 4,000,000 units in the US coupes were dropped in 1993 due to low production numbers only around 600 coupes were sold in the final year similar to the Cadillac Coupe Deville selling 4,700 its final year also 1993 though a decade prior that model was selling 60k annually and between Coupe and Sedan was selling roughly 150,000 Deville's per year roughly 1/2 of what Cadillac's total production was were Deville's in the early 1980s
I strongly disagree with you Kirk, keep it exclusively named a Century. Toyota shouldn't change what they've done for decades in Japan to accommodate U.S. Buyers, we need to change and stop acting like we own the world. Yes, sell it through the Lexus Dealership Network because of the luxury experience and support. I say this as a United States Citizen born and raised, and as a person who has a Lexus Dealership a half mile from my home in a suburb 15 miles northwest of Downtown Austin, TX.
No what. Toyota is in the business of making money and getting sales. Importantly when Mercedes tried to sell Maybach has its own brand it failed. Now they are selling it has Mercedes Maybach. Sure in Japan or some middle east market they have no issues with Toyota selling a ultra luxury sedan or SUV . But not the case outside those market.
No wonder American car companies are scrambling to get EV’s produced. An 800 mile car at 22k is a no brainer.
Toyota could have made the lf-1 limitless a flagship Lexus gin against the range rover or urus
RIP
Just call it the Century and place it at Lexus without the Lexus branding in a dedicated studio within the dealership.
Bring back the LFA 😭
Century😎😎😎😎😎😎😎
If the Century is being sold in China, obviously, that means it has now been engineered for LHD.
Looks like a Bentley Bentayga.
Don’t make it a Lexus, the century stands alone at the top
I wish this car had the old v12 🙏
Why not make the Century a standalone brand?
Then, create bespoke models under the nameplate.
Japan and maybe middle east yes century might do just fine as its own brand.however outside those markets it has to be sold has a Lexus century because selling a 170k SUV WIth a Toyota badge is not going to working. look what happened to great Maybach it failed horribly and now its successful. because its sold as Mercedes Maybach. You have to know this. Nothing personal
@Mylifeislegendary982-vd3vI ; Thank you for your explanation. I am not saying it should be sold as a 'Toyota' Century. I am suggesting it should be sold as 'Century'. There is Toyota and Lexus sits above Toyota. Maybe Century can be made and marketed to sit above Lexus.
@@oluseyigearhead4466 I understand what you are saying my friend. Fact is century name is not that big or known enough outside Japan or middle east to survive as its own brand. specialy in North America. Overall selling it has a Lexus century is the safe option. Importantly Also push Lexus upmarket as well. Again nothing personal brother
Thought it was a Lincoln
Watching your channel is not just a pleasure, it is a true cultural experience. Thank you for your creativity and efforts!🚴💣🦅
A gentleman's automobile.
Lexus Century??? HELLLLL NOOOOOO!!!!!
THIS TOTALLY DISRUPTS THE TOYOTA HISTORY.
If they need to do that to sell in the US, then the US doesn't deserve the Century.
The Century badge is way bigger than Lexus. Calling it a Lexus Century is like saying a Toyota LS. Toyota has done some crazy things lately but if they do that, they'd have totally lost their way.
Seriously Jarro. Mercedes literally sold Maybach as its own brand for years. It failed horribly and was a financial disaster. Now only reason Maybach is doing better than ever. Is simply because its called Mercedes Maybach. If anything its people like you who has lost their way and can't understand how the basic market works !.