“To be like no other,” said Akio Toyoda, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Toyota Motor Corporation, as he explained what people should expect from Century. In case you’ve never heard of it, it’s okay because Century is a brand-new brand, which was unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show and is Toyota’s stab at the super luxury segment. That rarefied space in which brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley operate. Stunned? So were we, because honestly, that’s a tall order. But if anyone can get up to that standard, Toyota can.
It’s a standalone brand with which Toyota Motor Corporation intends to start scratching at the highest echelons of luxury motoring. That’s the short of it. The Japanese auto giant has tried this route of punching above its weight when it launched Lexus in 1989 to battle it out with the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW, and got a fair bit of success in the US and in the Gulf countries. So, the move per se, comes as not much of a surprise.
According to Toyoda himself, while the name Century symbolizes the glorious Meiji era and the birth of Toyota’s founder Sakichi Toyoda, to him it is all about the century that is to come. “Century is not just another brand within Toyota Motor Corporation. We want to cultivate it as a brand that brings the spirit of Japan―the pride of Japan―out into the world. The next Century begins with us,” he said.
The showcase of this brand was done with an incredible new SUV coupé concept. It is futuristic enough to belong to the next century and yet its proportions are firmly rooted in the classical luxury automobile silhouette, which has an air of timelessness. Sporting the Phoenix as a mascot to symbolise a resurgent Japan, rising from every challenge time and again like the mythical bird, the Century concept looks like a masterpiece of design and luxury.
The launch of Century has also had the effect of freeing Lexus from some of the usual constraints of global automotive design. As a result, Lexus was able to redefine what the iconic LS initials would now define. Having denoted Luxury Sedan for decades, the initials will now mean Luxury Space. “Lexus has always been about more than just four wheels. We have never shied away from a challenge to discover new products new services new experiences. And now to redefine our flagship.
An LS that no longer stands for Luxury Sedan nor Luxury SUV but rather for Luxury Space,” said Simon Humphries, Chief Branding Officer for Lexus.
And to make sure that the world understands what he means, Lexus showcased six fantastic concepts, of which only three were automobiles as we understand them today. First up was the six-wheeled LS flagship that looked like it belonged in a sci-fi movie. Balancing driving experience with passenger comfort, the concept focused on deepening engagement of both the driver and occupants. Next up are the LS Coupé Concept and the Lexus Sport Concept, both of which are imaginable even though futuristic and undeniably cool. The concept that is unimaginably cool and throws all orthodox ideas to the wind is the LS Micro Concept, which takes the idea of personal mobility into a whole new dimension with its one-seater format. Lexus also presented a unique catamaran concept and Joby, an aerial mobility concept that would find space in Marvel’s Avengers as seamlessly as we connect our cell phones to our headphones.