Toyota Motor Corporation unveils five distinct marques for a new mobility era

Century, shaping the future of ultra luxury mobility.

Toyota New Zealand is proud to support the global direction announced at the Japan Mobility Show 2025, where Toyota Motor Corporation unveiled a bold new brand evolution redefining how its five automotive marques — Century, Lexus, Toyota, GR and Daihatsu — will serve distinct customer needs in the next era of mobility.

The strategic shift signals a clear ambition to strengthen Toyota’s position across the full spectrum of the market, from compact city cars to ultra-luxury vehicles.

Under the new structure, each brand will take a more focused role: Century will stand alone as an ultra-premium marque, Lexus will accelerate its pioneering leadership under vision of ‘Discover’, Toyota will deepen its connection with everyday drivers through its new “To You” ethos, GR will continue to champion performance and driving passion, and Daihatsu will concentrate on creative urban mobility solutions.

The move, signalled in the lead-up to the Japan Mobility Show and confirmed at the event, will focus on the Century nameplate, Toyota’s flagship model. Named to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Sakichi Toyoda's birth, Century stands unique among ultra-luxury brands.

By establishing Century as a standalone marque, Toyota plans to take what was once a domestic symbol of status and transform it into a global name, taking on the challenge of creating the next 100 years together.

Long the choice of Japan’s imperial household, prime ministers and business leaders, the hand-built Century is produced in very limited numbers, making private ownership rare even among the country’s wealthiest.

The new brand structure will feature Century at the top, closely followed by Lexus, which will be positioned more as a ‘heart of luxury’ marque, then GAZOO Racing (GR) with its high-performance cars, Toyota – a brand that provides mobility for all, and finally Daihatsu with its community focus and compact urban innovation.

“This is an exciting moment for Toyota globally and for our customers here in New Zealand,” says Toyota New Zealand Chief Executive Officer, Tatsuya Ishikawa while attending the Japan Mobility Show. “The direction set by Toyota Motor Corporation demonstrates a clear commitment to delivering even more choice, quality and innovation from accessible everyday vehicles to the most refined luxury experiences.”

“In New Zealand, our focus remains on providing mobility solutions that help people move better, live better and protect the environment we all share. Whether it’s through our leadership in hybrid technology, investment in new mobility services, or ongoing work to reduce emissions across our range, Toyota’s evolution continues to align with our purpose of enabling Kiwis to go places sustainably and confidently,” he says.

Toyota Motor Corporation Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries explained 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.”

Lexus, as the Discover brand, will focus on what customers truly seek and to create new value and experiences, while Century will stand as the top offering within Toyota’s portfolio. This approach allows both brands to operate independently while targeting different customer bases, with Lexus pursuing taking on new and diverse challenges and Century focusing on custom-built exclusivity.

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 rather than visual showmanship. Produced in limited volumes, it has maintained exclusivity within Japan for decades.

While new brand and model concepts for Century, Lexus, Toyota and Daihatsu were revealed at the Japan Mobility Show, a new GR was 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.

At the core of Toyota's brand promise is the commitment to mobility for all and providing a variety of products and power trains. This goal to meet the diverse needs is summed up by the phrase ‘To You’. For the New Zealand market, ‘To You’ offers a local hook: Toyota New Zealand can say “mobility to you” for Kiwi families, businesses, remote communities emphasising how Toyota tailors solutions locally, from micro mobility to go anywhere SUVs and utes.

“Toyota and Lexus customers in New Zealand are not defined by an average, but by their individuality and diverse needs. Toyota’s global vision for mobility and innovation aligns perfectly with our commitment to New Zealand customers. We are excited to bring relevant innovations to New Zealand and continue our journey towards a more inclusive and sustainable future,” Ishikawa-san said.

To show how committed Toyota Motor Corporation is to the millions of individuals who buy Toyota every year around the world, Toyota chose the Japan Mobility Show to reveal a reinvention of the best-selling car of all time – the Toyota Corolla.

In revealing the concept Corolla, Simon Humphries said the Corolla is a car for the majority, but the majority don’t necessarily want the same car. The new Corolla concept was designed for uncompromising car manufacturing “just for you”, with a wide variety of models and powertrains created to handle roads around the world.