Toyota marks its ultra premium push with new ‘Century’ brand; frees up Lexus to compete harder in luxury segment

TMC showcased its concept Century Coupe, which is still in the development stage, while two of its models — a sedan and an SUV — are already in production with an annual capacity of 200 and 300, respectively.

“Century will only be manufactured in Japan. We have decided to establish a new brand as we understand that we have a manufacturing technology in the automotive industry in Japan, and have a lot of traditional craftsmanship in this country, and through this brand, we will deliver Japanese craftsmanship and artisanship to the world,” said Yoshikazu Tanaka, DGM, product planning at TMC.

With the introduction of Century, TMC’s Lexus brand is expected to step up its competition in the luxury market.

Simon Humphries, Chief Branding Officer, TMC, said, “The introduction of Century in the ultra luxury space gives Lexus the freedom to operate in the luxury market”.

At the Japan Mobility Show, TMC also showcased its new Corolla and introduced the IMV concept, where the company will ship out unfinished cars from the factory.

Koji Sato, CEO and president of TMC, said during the event that the concept has been designed for people living in rural villages in Africa.

“We will just build the base, and the customer will complete the vehicle. Not finishing is what makes it a ‘for you’ car,” said Sato.

The event also featured electric vehicle concept cars from Honda Motor and Suzuki Motor Corporation. Suzuki showcased its small electric vehicle concept ‘Vision e-sky’, which the officials said will have a range of 270 km and will get into production in the financial year 2026-27.

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. presented the world premiere of the prototype of Honda 0 α (alpha) next-generation EV. The Honda 0 α will be manufactured in India and will be exported to other markets including Japan and other Asian markets.

(The writer was in Tokyo at the Japan Mobility Show at the invitation of Toyota Kirloskar Motors)