Report: Toyota Pushing the GRMN Century SUV to Production
Last year, Toyota confirmed that the Century SUV would make its way to the States, but the automaker has more planned for its home market. The Century GRMN SUV, currently a one-off, has been confirmed as a production model, thanks to lobbying by Chairman Akio Toyoda.
The performance-oriented luxury SUV will also be sold in China, which is where Toyoda revealed its move to production. During a meeting to launch the standard SUV, he was asked by an attendee about the GRMN, to which he said, “The Century I Own is the only GRMN there is for now. Next, I want to make a GRMN that many people from around the world can ride.”
Toyota confirmed that the SUV would also be launched in China, saying, “We’re planning to. However, we need to wait a bit.”
While we don’t know specifics about the GRMN’s performance or specs, Toyota has disclosed that the vehicle rides on 22-inch wheels, has exposed carbon fiber bodywork, and offers sliding rear doors. The production version may offer improved performance over the standard model, more aggressive suspension, larger brakes, and unique styling.
The Century SUV’s standard mill is a 3.5-liter V6 with plug-in hybrid tech making 406 horsepower. GRMN upgrades could put the SUV in the league of high-performance models from luxury automakers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi.
[Images: Toyota]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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