{"id":6990,"date":"2025-10-16T06:59:39","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T06:59:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/?p=6990"},"modified":"2025-10-17T09:44:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T09:44:24","slug":"toyota-turns-century-into-a-flagship-brand-above-lexus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/2025\/10\/16\/toyota-turns-century-into-a-flagship-brand-above-lexus\/","title":{"rendered":"Toyota Turns Century Into a Flagship Brand Above Lexus"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Ever since its founding in 1989, Lexus has served as Toyota\u2019s luxury brand, positioned to take on the likes of BMW, Mercedes, and Audi. The strategy has worked well for 36 years, with sales peaking last year at 851,214 units worldwide. However, Toyota is now shaking up its brand hierarchy by spinning off Century into a standalone entity positioned above Lexus.<\/p>\n

Rumors in Japanese media about Century becoming an independent brand were confirmed this week by Toyota<\/a>. Chairman Akio Toyoda revealed it was his idea to propose an \u201cabove-Lexus\u201d marque, believing Century should exist in \u201ca class of its own.\u201d He admitted he wasn\u2019t too pleased to see the Century sedan and SUV displayed at the Toyota booth during the 2024 Japan Mobility Show.<\/p>\n

Although it\u2019s the newest brand under Toyota\u2019s umbrella, Century predates Lexus by decades. The nameplate was introduced in 1967 as a sedan and has since spanned three generations, the second being the only Toyota ever powered by a V-12 engine. With few exceptions, the sedan has remained exclusive to Japan. In 2023, the lineup expanded with an SUV<\/a> that marked the beginning of Century\u2019s global ambitions, starting with entry into the Chinese market.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, Century will operate independently to \u201ctake on the high-end market as the top of the top, one of one,\u201d according to Toyota\u2019s Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphreys. A stately coupe<\/a> will spearhead Century\u2019s new status within the Toyota empire, under the banner: \u201cOne of One. One in this world, from this country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"<p>Toyota <\/p>\n

Toyota brands positioning<\/p>\n

Photo by: Toyota<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear Century will focus on ultra-low-volume, high-priced models\u2014presumably what Rolls-Royce is to BMW<\/a> or Bentley is to Audi and Volkswagen. The imposing coupe debuting later this month at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show hints at far more extravagant vehicles than anything wearing a Lexus badge.<\/p>\n

Where Does That Leave Lexus?<\/h3>\n

Lexus is also preparing for major changes. The electric, six-wheeled, three-row boxy minivan concept<\/a> suggests Toyota envisions a bold new direction for its long-standing luxury brand. Akio Toyoda says the LS name no longer stands for \u201cLuxury Sedan\u201d but \u201cLuxury Space,\u201d reflecting the brand\u2019s evolving philosophy. He\u2019s confident the unusual people carrier will reach production, though he acknowledged it will be a \u201chuge challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cautioned that the radical three-axle LS<\/a> will only move forward if it meets Lexus\u2019 standards for \u201cquietness, comfort, and the ability to drive on any road.\u201d Humphreys added that Lexus \u201cwill be freer to act\u201d going forward, hinting the global luxury brand will explore new ideas without \u201ccopying anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lexus <\/p>\n

Lexus LS concept teaser<\/p>\n

Photo by: Lexus<\/p>\n

The LS minivan is described as \u201ca new form of luxury car for the future,\u201d one that makes occupants \u201clook cool when getting in and out.\u201d Meanwhile, the traditional LS sedan that laid the brand\u2019s foundation at the end of the 1980s will be discontinued after the 2026 Heritage Edition.<\/p>\n

These details surfaced during a live broadcast ahead of the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, where Toyota will unveil several new models, including an electric Corolla concept<\/a>. However, the long-awaited supercar will not appear there. Instead, it\u2019s scheduled to debut online on December 5 before making its public premiere in January 2026 at the Tokyo Auto Salon.<\/p>\n

2018 Toyota Century Reveals Its Classic Design In Tokyo<\/a>
Toyota Spends Three And A Half Hours Inspecting Each Century SUV<\/a><\/p>\n

Source: Toyota Times<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever since its founding in 1989, Lexus has served as Toyota\u2019s luxury brand, positioned to take on the likes of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6990"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6990"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6996,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6990\/revisions\/6996"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}