- Toyota, Century, Lexus, GR and Daihatsu to have own focus.
- Century goes from Japanese exclusivity to global brand.
- New models revealed at Japan Mobility Show.
Toyota has announced a new global direction, charging each of its five brands with serving "distinct customer needs in the next era of mobility".
So that's Toyota, Lexus... and what are others again? It counts Gazoo Racing (GR) as a separate brand, and it's extending its efforts at the top and bottom of the new-vehicle market. Century, formerly a Japanese-domestic affair, will now be a global brand, while Toyota is also emboldening its cheap-and-cheerful efforts with Daihatsu.
The company says each brand will take a more focused role: "Century will stand alone as an ultra-premium marque, Lexus will accelerate its pioneering leadership... Toyota will deepen its connection with everyday drivers, GR will continue to champion performance and driving passion, and Daihatsu will concentrate on creative urban mobility solutions.
The biggest change is the expansion of the Century name. By establishing it as a standalone marque, Toyota plans to take what was once a domestic symbol of status and transform it into a global name.
Introduced in 1967, the Century has long symbolised Japanese craftsmanship and tradition, often used by senior government officials and the Imperial Household. The Century has always represented a reserved form of luxury, built with attention to detail. Produced in limited volumes, it has maintained exclusivity within Japan for decades.
The new brand structure will feature Century at the top, closely followed by Lexus (the "heart of luxury" says Toyota), then GR, Toyota, and finally Daihatsu with its community focus and compact cars.
Toyota Motor Corporation chief branding officer Simon Humphries explains the different roles between the two luxury brands: “In a sense, Lexus can now move more freely. Lexus should continue to push forward as a pioneer, while Century sets its sights on the high end as the ‘Top of the Top, One of One'.”
While new brand and model concepts for Century, Lexus, Toyota and Daihatsu were revealed at the Japan Mobility Show, a new GR is being kept under wraps until the Tokyo Auto Salon in January 2026. However, hints about a new GR model were made in a Japanese advertisement featuring the headlamps of a Toyota 2000GT, a Lexus LFA and an unknown headlight.
Toyota did choose the Mobility Show to reveal a radical-looking reinvention of the best-selling car of all time – the Toyota Corolla.
In revealing the concept Corolla, Simon Humphries said it's a car for the majority, but the majority don’t necessarily want the same car. The concept includes the possibility of a wide variety of models and powertrains.