For decades, Toyota has kept its Century flagship luxury sedan confined to the Japanese market, but last October the automaker promoted Century to a standalone ultra-luxury brand, unveiling a striking coupe concept for the marque in the process.This was a clear signal that the Century brand, positioned directly above Lexus, had global ambitions. Since the fall of 2023, Toyota also sells the Century SUV in Japan, China and in smaller numbers in the Middle East and other Asian markets, and it looks like North America is next in the brand's crosshairs.Akio Toyota Arrived at His Automotive Hall of Fame Induction in Detroit in a Century SUVToyotaToyota chairman Akio Toyoda delivered a strong hint last week when he arrived in Detroit to be inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in a Century GRMN SUV that is not available in the United States.When asked why Toyoda showed up in a Century, Chief Technology Officer Hiroki Nakajima told Bloomberg that Toyota wanted to showcase the latest version of the Century. "It's a global model, so we're interested in getting feedback from auto industry officials in Detroit," he noted.ToyotaOver the past year, Toyota took steps that indicate it is working on turning Century into something bigger. It launched an English-language website highlighting Century cars' master Japanese craftsmanship and opened the first Century showroom in central Tokyo.These efforts aside, does it really make business sense to bring Century to the United States? Well, if volume and revenue are the only metrics, that may not be the case, according to Bloomberg Intelligence auto analyst Tatsuo Yoshida."But it's much more than that — it's a clear statement by Toyota that it wants to play a role in the super-premium category currently dominated by the European brands," he added.The Century SUV Starts at Over $170,000 in JapanToyotaLike vehicles from Rolls-Royce or Bentley, new Century models are partially handmade but significantly more affordable. The Century SUV starts at 27 million yen in Japan, which is the equivalent of over $170,000 at the current exchange rate. For comparison, the Bentley Bentayga starts at around $210,000 in the U.S., while the Rolls-Royce Cullinan is priced from $440,000.Still, if the Century SUV does make it stateside, it will probably cost more that $170,000 as import duties and other homologation costs need to be taken into account.Century sold around 500 vehicles last year, compared with around 1,700 in 1997. Expanding into more overseas markets will likely boost sales as well as provide a halo effect over Toyota's regular vehicles. Furthermore, strengthening Century means Lexus doesn't need to push further upmarket.ToyotaOnce the high-riding Century coupe concept (pictured below with Akio Toyoda) reaches production, the big question is what powertrain it will have. Currently, the Century sedan features a hybrid V8 engine while the SUV has a hybrid V6 engine.Rumor has it the Century coupe could debut a hybrid V12, but Toyota said it cannot disclose technical details yet. The Century sedan that debuted in 1997 featured a naturally aspirated V12 engine—the only V12 passenger car engine ever mass-produced by Toyota—so the lineage is definitely there.Toyota