Toyota’s new luxury SUV getting put to the test by sumo wrestlers
Toyota has revealed a convertible version of its new flagship Century SUV, and is pressing it into duty as a chariot for sumo wrestlers.
The brand first teased the droptop in September 2023 during the reveal of the Century SUV.
The Japan Sumo Association has confirmed the Century convertible will be used in its parade for sumo wrestlers later this year.
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As seen in a video from the organisation, the second row features a large bench seat covered in a light cream-coloured leather. The floor has a raised step made of a suede-like fabric.
There don’t appear to be any seat belts for the passengers however there are handles on the back of the front seats.
The roof of the SUV wasn’t shown in the video nor in the presentation slides from Toyota’s September launch.
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Toyota has designed the Century SUV with many different customisable options to make the model one of a kind.
It’ll be sold exclusively in Japan at select dealers, and a “Meister” will be in charge of sales at the dealer and will communicate with each customer and design a car that “meets their standards”.
The new Century SUV is being pitched as a rival to the likes of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga, with a ¥25 million (~A$265,000) price.
At this stage it’s expected the Century SUV will be for the Japanese market only, meaning it likely won’t come to Australia – though Toyota Australia did take the step of trademarking the Century name locally in December 2023.
The Century SUV is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain with a total system output of 303kW of power. This is mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with an eFour all-wheel drive system.
Toyota claims the Century SUV has an electric range of up to 69km on the Japanese WLTC test cycle. When the battery is depleted it has an average hybrid fuel consumption of 7.0L/100km.
The four-seat Century SUV measures in at 5205mm long, 1990mm wide, and 1805mm tall, with a 2950mm wheelbase. This is 130mm shorter, 60mm wider, and 300mm taller than the five-seat Century sedan.
