Toyota confirms flagship Century SUV will debut this 2023

Last year, Toyota revealed to the motoring world the all-new Crown. While the vehicle itself is still available in sedan form, what really caught everyone off guard was the fact that the automaker also revealed a crossover SUV version of the nameplate.

That's right, the 16th generation Crown is now available as a high-riding vehicle aptly named the Crown Crossover. It combines a coupe-like four-door body style that is complemented by a tall ride height and large alloy wheels.

In the future, however, the Crown Crossover will not only be the luxury sedan turned opulent crossover SUV. That's because Toyota has announced that the flagship Century will also be available as a high-end SUV.

During the launch of the Alphard and Vellfire last week, Simon Humphries, Toyota's Chief Branding Officer, surprised everyone by officially announcing the Century SUV. In a statement, Humphries shared will offer the ultimate chauffeur experience while also changing the future of cars.

“The Toyota Century is the ultimate chauffeur experience but it will too have to evolve as we move toward the future. And later in the year, I hope to have a chance to share the outcome of that story with a new addition to Toyota’s chauffeur series. It will certainly be an impressive step in our mission to change the future of cars,” said Humphries.

Current third-generation Toyota Century sedan

No exact details were revealed by the automaker about the upcoming Century SUV. However, the automaker did share a shadowy teaser image of the upcoming vehicle. Based on what journalists saw during the event, the Century SUV will have a long hood, a swooping character line, and a retro-inspired rear that appears to be similar to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

As for its powertrain, it could also come with the electrified 5.0-liter V8 that's currently seeing use in the third generation Century. However, we also won't be surprised if the Century SUV gets a smaller engine that's assisted by a pair of electric motors since Toyota wants to offer greener powertrains.

With Toyota planning to hold its debut later in the year, perhaps we might get to see the Century SUV in full right before 2023 ends. But until then, all we can do for now is wait and see (as well as keep our fingers crossed for possible leaks coming out).