⁠Japan PM Sanae Takaichi trades in Century sedan in favour of Century SUV

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has replaced her Toyota Century sedan with the newer Century SUV, marking a shift while retaining the model's longstanding association with Japan's highest political office.

The new Century SUV was recently spotted in Tokyo transporting the Prime Minister from her official residence to the National Diet Building before later travelling to Haneda Airport. As with previous official movements, the vehicle was accompanied by a security convoy comprising earlier-generation Lexus LS sedans.

Japan PM Sanae Takaichi’s Toyota Century SUV

Unlike the standard Century SUV, which is commonly offered with a dual-tone exterior finish, the Prime Minister's vehicle features an all-black paint scheme. It is equipped with blue identification lights and emergency strobes integrated into the front grille, along with an auxiliary front mirror. The SUV rides on multi-spoke alloy wheels fitted with high-profile tyres, while its reinforced body panels and glazing are believed to incorporate armouring for enhanced occupant protection.

According to reports from Japanese media citing government records, the previous official vehicle had reached its designated service mileage and was therefore scheduled for replacement. The outgoing third-generation Toyota Century sedan had been in service since April 2020, when the late Shinzo Abe was serving as Prime Minister. The civilian version of the Toyota Century SUV is currently priced from approximately ¥27 million (around $167,100) in Japan.

Going from the sedan to the SUV should also bring a slew of practical benefits, from easier ingress and egress to more headroom in the cabin and the benefits of an electrified powertrain.

Toyota Century SUV: Specs

The Century SUV rides on Toyota’s TNGA-K platform and houses a 3.5L V6 plug-in hybrid powertrain that produces a combined output of 400 hp. Power is sent to all four wheels through an e-CVT automatic gearbox and Toyota’s E-Four all-wheel-drive system. The SUV is equipped with a 21.3 kWh battery pack that allows for an electric-only driving range of up to 69 km on a full charge.

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