BIZ BUZZ: Century comes to the fore

The Philippines’ true 1-percenters have a new ultraluxury vehicle brand to check out—Century, touted as “a car in a class of its own.”

The brand that had long been known in certain exclusive circles used to be housed within Toyota, but the group’s ultimate symbol of luxury has been spun off to stand on its own and stand out in the upscale market.

And just to show how special Century is to the Toyota family, Toyota chair Akio Toyoda himself introduced the brand that combines elegant design with high-tech features during the ongoing Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo, Japan.

Toyoda waxed sentimental about the brand, referring to Century—which bears the phoenix emblem—as a car “born carrying Japan on its shoulders,” as its history also reflects that of Japan’s vital car manufacturing industry itself.

But at the same time, Toyoda has his eyes firmly fixed on the future.

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“Century is not just another brand within Toyota Motor Corp. We want to cultivate it as a brand that brings the spirit of Japan—the pride of Japan—out into the world,” Toyoda said, “The next Century begins with us.”

There is no fixed schedule yet on when the top-tier Century models—each costing around $170,000 or P10 million—will be distributed in the Philippines, but that should not stop those who have the means and the desire from eventually getting their hands on a Century.