Toyota to Debut Next-generation Century at Tokyo Motor Show 2017

supra93

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Toyota City, Japan, October 4, 2017―Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is scheduled to showcase the new Century (to be released in the middle of 2018) at the 45th Tokyo Motor Show 2017*1, taking place from October 25 through November 5 at Tokyo Big Sight. The theme of this year's show is "Beyond the Motor."

The new 3rd generation Century carries on the tradition of master craftsmanship and high-quality monozukuri (all-encompassing manufacturing) while realizing high-demand environmental performance and a design layout that pursues passenger comfort. The interior and exterior design injects new charm into the Century in line with its heritage. Moreover, the new Century features advanced equipment and comfort amenities only suitable for a luxury limousine.

Specifically, the Century is now powered by a 5.0-liter V8 hybrid system for outstanding fuel efficiency. In addition, the wheelbase has lengthened, the height difference between the scuff plate and floor has decreased, and the height of the door opening has increased, all of which are refinements improving the rear seat riding experience. The intricately glamorous and chic exterior is highlighted by traditional Japanese design elements used throughout the car including the grille and black trim on the rear combination lamps. The interior features a raised ceiling*2 design and exclusive fabric while the adjustable rear seats (with massage function), are upgraded with a power leg rest for first-class comfort and a sophisticated riding experience.

*1The 45th Tokyo Motor Show 2017 is to be held at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo's waterfront area from October 25 through November 5, with press days on October 25 and 26, a special-invitation day on October 26, a preview day on October 27, and general public days from October 28 to November 5.

*2The raised ceiling is an architectural ceiling design with additional height in the center area.
Main Features

Regal presence suitable for a representative Japanese luxury sedan embodying the concepts of legacy and evolution

Layout
Increase in vehicle length, wheelbase, and tread exudes a roomy and dignified style.
Ample comfort is provided to rear seat passengers through the increased space created by the expanded wheelbase. Additionally, the rear seat riding experience has been improved through the decreased height difference between the scuff plate and the floor and the increased height of the door opening.

Exterior design

The heritage of the Century can be seen at first glance from the front of the vehicle where the grille, lamps, and other elements blend seamlessly together creating a simple and modern aesthetic.

The grille has a dual structure with a crown pattern applied behind the vertical grid and clearance lamps.

The combination of three projector headlamps and LED Array AHS*1 produce a clear and distinctive appearance.

While maintaining elegance in a horizontal foundational posture, the underbody, which dips slightly rearward, combined with the ascending rear cabin, secures the rear seat space and creates a supple movement when viewed from the side.

By straightening the slope of the C pillar, the design focus of the cabin shifts to the rear, heightening the importance of the rear in appearance.

A refined sense of unity is evoked through the blackening of the of the trim of the rear combination lamps
Glamor is evoked from the three-dimensional lens of the rear combination lamps that emit a light of harmony.

Interior design

A raised ceiling and the application of a traditional pattern befitting a vehicle of the highest class
In the rear seat area, heather-patterned upholstery is applied from the backs of the front seats to the door panel trim, emphasizing horizontal space. The seat upholstery is made of high-quality materials, including 100% wool that is extremely flexible and soft. Models with leather interiors offer high-end, soft-textured upholstery.

Similar to the rear seat area, the front seats utilize horizontal heather-patterned upholstery that emphasizes space. The black heather-patterned decoration in the center of the instrument panel expresses a noble and sophisticated interior.

The step-less, adjustable power leg rest and adjustable rear seats (with a massage function) ensure a comfortable ride.

A multi-operational LCD panel located in the central armrest enables passenger control of all seats, air conditioning, and audio controls.

Equipped with furnishings that can be used for business or pleasure such as a writing table, reading light, rear seat entertainment system with a large-sized display, and a 20-speaker premium audio system

Basic performance for the ultimate riding experience

In addition to a specially-tuned suspension and high rigidity body, both driving stability and premium ride comfort are realized by the use of newly developed tires specialized for ride comfort and reduced road vibration.

Optimization of the engine mount and the active noise control system reduces noise and vibration when the engine starts and achieves smooth acceleration and overwhelming serenity in the cabin.

The 5.0-liter 2UR-FSE V8 engine using "D-4S*2" direct injection technology for low fuel consumption and high output is installed in combination with hybrid system (THS II*3) in pursuit of the lowest fuel consumption in its class. In addition, a two-stage motor speed reduction device realizes quiet and smooth driving.

Safety features suitable for a limousine such as Toyota Safety Sense P collision avoidance support, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert are adopted.

Main Specifications
Length × width × height (mm) 5,335 × 1,930 × 1,505
Wheelbase (mm) 3,090
Tread (front / rear) (mm) 1,615 / 1,615
Engine Model 2UR-FSE
Displacement (cc) 4,968
Battery Nickel hydride

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Gecko

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Two things:

1) is that the same powertrain from the LS 600hL? Or is this an updated version?

2) is that cloth interior? If so, why?
 

krew

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First of all -- OMG I LOVE THIS CAR ITS AMAZING

1) is that the same powertrain from the LS 600hL? Or is this an updated version?

Has to be, I don't think we'll see a new V8 hybrid unless TMC figures out how to turbocharge it.

2) is that cloth interior? If so, why?

Customers that buy the Century prefer the silence of a cloth interior. Leather is an option.
 

mmcartalk

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2) is that cloth interior? If so, why?

Looks like velour. I've always liked velour seats myself. That is a seat-covering that has largely been forgotten from modern luxury cars, where everything is either leather or leatherette.

I also like the general looks of this car. It actually looks like a sedan, not a four-door coupe.
 

Joaquin Ruhi

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Two things:

1) is that the same powertrain from the LS 600hL? Or is this an updated version?

2) is that cloth interior? If so, why?

The answers to both questions are buried in the press release at the top of this thread.

1) The 2UR-FSE engine code indeed reveals it to be the LS 600h powertrain. Whether or not it's identical in the Toyota Century or if it's received tweaks or modifications (or, for that matter, whether it's RWD or AWD) hasn't been revealed yet.

2) The fabric in the interior is neither cloth nor velour, but 100% wool. This is a Toyota Century tradition, for the noise reasons mentioned above.

Perhaps in a sign of how quickly change is coming to the automotive world, the original Toyota Century made its debut at the 1967 Tokyo Motor Show alongside the 3rd-generation Toyota Crown. The original Century was built for almost 30 years, and 1997 saw the release of the 2nd-gen Century. That one, however, was built for "only" 20 years. Now, on the 50th anniversary of the original's debut, a 3rd-gen Century is born, alongside the 15th-gen Crown. Which begs the question: will Toyota's 3rd-gen Century be built until 2037? Or is automotive evolution moving so quickly that the 4th-gen Century could come in 2027?
 
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mmcartalk

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2) The fabric in the interior is neither cloth nor velour, but 100% wool. This is a Toyota Century tradition, for the noise reasons mentioned above.

Interesting. I wasn't aware of that. I've never heard of wool on regular factory seats, although Rolls-Royce used to use fleece-floor mats (don't know if they still do), and aftermarket sheep-skin wool seat-covers have been available in auto-parts store for many years.
 

Carmaker1

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Save for a few articles in Kodansha and Mag X since 2014 about this car, I started to worry it was vaporware. Knew I didn't imagine a new V8 Century all these years. Too bad it won't launch this year.

The outgoing generation actually entered production in 1996, even though it reached JDM in April 1997.
 

CIF

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Great to see the next-gen Century finally as an official thing. The new interior is wonderful, exterior is classic as it always has been. I wonder if the car is on GA-L as its not explicitly mentioned.

Sad though to see the demise of the GZ V12. Not sure that the LS600h powertrain in this new Century is much of an improvement, if at all, over the GZ in terms of refinement, and NVH levels.
 

spwolf

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Interesting. I wasn't aware of that. I've never heard of wool on regular factory seats, although Rolls-Royce used to use fleece-floor mats (don't know if they still do), and aftermarket sheep-skin wool seat-covers have been available in auto-parts store for many years.

btw, they also have leather as in top end Lexi...
 

ssun30

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It's so funny to see random ignorant Americans on other sites saying this thing is "small". Well for japanese roads it's a moving ice berg, and other cars had better make way for it.
 
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CIF

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I actually just went through the exterior dimensions, and they are not far off the 5LS. So likely this is on GA-L. Given the Century is rarely redesigned, this would only make sense.

It's so funny to see random ignorant Americans on other sites saying this thing is "small". Well for japanese roads it's a moving ice berg, and other cars had better make way for it.

Hilarious. This is slightly longer, wider, and taller than the 5LS, with only a slightly shorter wheelbase.
 

ssun30

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Hilarious. This is slightly longer, wider, and taller than the 5LS, with only a slightly shorter wheelbase.

I wonder why it has such long front and rear overhangs. The proportions don't look right for a longitudinal vehicle (more like transverse FWD). Usually a 5300 mm long car should have a 3300 mm long wheelbase...
 

mmcartalk

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It's so funny to see random ignorant Americans on other sites saying this thing is "small". Well for japanese roads it's a moving ice berg, and other cars had better make way for it.

One cannot always tell the physical size of a car simply from images.....especially without background references to visually compare it to. I wouldn't necessarily call them "ignorant", but, yes, I agree.....some folks on those forums should be more careful about making size-related comments.
 

Joaquin Ruhi

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I wonder why it has such long front and rear overhangs. The proportions don't look right for a longitudinal vehicle (more like transverse FWD). Usually a 5300 mm long car should have a 3300 mm long wheelbase...
An excellent observation. I just looked at a side profile shot. Front overhang seems a bit longer than rear edge of front fender to front edge of front door distance. I suspect that the new Century does NOT sit on the GA-L platform.
 
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I wonder why it has such long front and rear overhangs. The proportions don't look right for a longitudinal vehicle (more like transverse FWD). Usually a 5300 mm long car should have a 3300 mm long wheelbase...
An excellent observation. I just looked at a side profile shot. Front overhang seems a bit longer than rear edge of front fender to front edge of front door distance. I suspect that the new Century does NOT sit on the GA-L platform.
The new gen Century's 3,090 mm wheelbase is exactly the same as that of the 4LS 600h L, so it's safe to assume that the NEW Toyota flagship uses the now-more-than-a-decade-old underpinning of the LAST gen LS, not the GA-L. The engine is basically the same as well I believe. But it's understandable because reliability is easily the first priority for the Century. They just didn't want to try something new for this particular vehicle.
 

CIF

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The new gen Century's 3,090 mm wheelbase is exactly the same as that of the 4LS 600h L, so it's safe to assume that the NEW Toyota flagship uses the now-more-than-a-decade-old underpinning of the LAST gen LS, not the GA-L. The engine is basically the same as well I believe. But it's understandable because reliability is easily the first priority for the Century. They just didn't want to try something new for this particular vehicle.

Good points, you're most likely right.
 

supra93

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2018 Toyota Century (3rd gen) at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show – Live

In case you’ve never heard of the Toyota Century; yes, Toyota actually makes a super luxury limousine too. And no, not the one that has a large ‘L’ badge and aggressive styling. The Century is a Japanese limo that’s been around since 1967, and it’s just entered the third generation only.

The new Toyota Century measures 5,335 mm long, 1,930 mm wide, 1,505 mm high and has a wheelbase of 3,090 mm. Despite being the latest generation, Toyota has basically rehashed the characteristic styling, albeit with a slightly upright c-pillar. There are a few modern elements such as the three projector headlamps and LED Array AHS, the three-dimensional lens of the taillamps and the sensors for the Toyota Safety Sense package.

Inside, the new Century has all the bells and whistles you’d find in a European luxury limo. For instance, rear occupants get power articulating and massaging rear seats, integrated leg rest, multi-operational LCD panel located in the central armrest and 20-speaker premium audio system. For those of you wondering the type of upholstery used, the Century comes with wool upholstery, which may seem unorthodox. However, the Japanese consider wool as a traditional luxury touch. Leather upholstery is still an option.

Gone is the trademark V12 engine for a new hybrid system that combines a 2UR-FSE 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 engine with an electric motor. It is claimed to offer the lowest fuel consumption in its class.

https://indianautosblog.com/2017/10/2018-toyota-century-3rd-gen-2017-tokyo-287228
 
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supra93

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A New Toyota With Previous Century Styling Is Japan's Rolls Royce

The most exclusive model from Japan is a car very few have ever heard about outside the country. The Toyota Century was born back in 1967 and was named for the 100th birthday of the company's founder, Sakichi Toyoda.

It remained unchanged for two decades, but at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show Toyota debuted a new generation of the Century.

Unveiled earlier this month, the flagship saloon could fool you into thinking that it's a 1990s car, featuring a classic boxy design with sharp angles that has slightly evolved over its predecessor, dominated by a large grille, rectangular headlights, and multi-spoke alloy wheels.

However, opening the door reveals a lot of modern equipment, such as the infotainment system, digital dials, and rear-seat entertainment, among others, which blends in with the classic style in a rather minimalistic layout. Users also get to enjoy the wood trim, wool/leather seating, premium audio system, reading light, writing table, and others, offered either as standard, or optional.

Toyota has yet to release the specs of the 2018 Century, but we already know that it uses the 5.0-liter V8 petrol engine and electric motor powering the LS 600h, backed up by a nickel-hydrogen battery pack.

Pricing details haven’t been announced either, but don't get your hopes too high, because the automaker still has no plans of offering their new flagship saloon outside Japan.

http://www.carscoops.com/2017/10/a-new-toyota-with-previous-century.html
 
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