Toyota sells a lot of cars in the United States. The RAV4 is the most popular vehicle on the market, on the whole the company regularly places in the top three when it comes to overall sales, and everyone has owned a rusted out or dented old Camry or Corolla at some point.
But Toyota’s focus in the US is very much run of the mill sedans and SUVs. It’s why a lot of them are so popular. A RAV4 does everything very well, at an okay price. It’s very boring, because RAV4 buyers explicitly don’t want surprises.
But outside of the US, specifically in Japan, Toyota sells some of the most interesting vehicles on the planet. Here are a few, including a 1980s looking pimpmobile with a 5-liter V8 under the hood, a mind blowingly tiny three-row SUV, and a luxury minivan.
The Toyota Sienta may be the world’s smallest three-row vehicle
Imagine cramming three rows of seating into something shorter and narrower than the Honda Civic? That’s basically what the Toyota Sienta is. It’s an ultra-compact minivan designed for overcrowded cities.
Built on the TNGA-B platform (the same one as the Yaris) the Sienta is powered by a naturally aspirated, three-cylinder, 1.5l engine that produces just 118 horsepower. A hybrid option is also available, because that’s what Toyota does.
I know what you’re thinking. The third row of a Ford Explorer is a little cramped, so you’d never consider purchasing this pod hotel on wheels. Well, apparently the Japanese don’t think like that. The Sienta is one of the best selling cars in Japan, often competing against the Yaris for the country’s #1 spot.
The Toyota Alphard/Vellfire is the world’s most luxurious minivan
Chrysler has been trying to up its game with the Pacifica in recent years, but that has absolutely nothing on the Toyota Alphard. Japanese corporate fleets buy a ton of these, it’s basically the Land of the Rising Sun’s answer to the Cadillac Escalade.
The other thing it has in common is the “Executive Lounge” second row of seats, which mimics a private jet. So expect a quality reclining seat, ottoman and all, along with a tray table.
While Toyota does have a very well selling US minivan in the Sienna, the Alphard is unlikely to ever be sold in America. Minivans are seen as family cars over here, basically a Soccer Mom Special. Not executive transport, that was previously the domain of the limousine and is now dominated by the luxury SUV segment. Also, Toyota has tried to go a bit upmarket in the US recently, and seems to have failed horribly in that regard.
The Toyota Raize may be what the US market needs
Americans are crying out for cheaper vehicles, and Toyota is one of the few companies that actively fills that niche. The Corolla Cross is a genuinely affordable crossover, starting at a shade over $25,000 while offering reasonable fuel economy and utility. But what if I told you there was a cheaper version available in Japan?
The Toyota Raize is a subcompact crossover that’s seen as an “entry level” vehicle sitting below the Corolla Cross in the pecking order. Despite it being ridiculously cheap (usually sitting somewhere between $15,000 and $17,000 new) the little SUV actually comes with a good number of features including a 4WD system available on certain trims.
You have to save money somewhere though, and Toyota arguably does that with the Raize’s powertrain. It’s a piddly little one-liter three-cylinder thing that spits out about 97 horsepower. Which historically isn’t too bad, but in reality is probably less than the Vitamix in my kitchen cupboard puts out.
But again, the US is full of urban settings where something the size of the Raize would be ideal, and a $15,000 SUV would likely call shockwaves in the US market at this time. Plus, Toyota exports the Raize to Mexico. So it’s not averse to sending them across the Pacific.
The Toyota Century may be the Japanese Rolls-Royce
If you’re the Emperor of Japan, you’re not driving around in a 2021 Nissan Rogue. You obviously want the pinnacle of Japanese automaking sitting on the imperial driveway. Apparently that’s the Toyota Century.
Oddly enough, of all the vehicles on this list this is the most likely to do well in the US. If you saw it rolling down the street, you’d probably mistake it for a 1980s Lincoln Town Car or another three-box masterpiece from one of the golden eras of American automotive manufacturing.
What’s under the hood fits in too. Older versions were rocking a V12, and modern versions aren’t exactly econoboxes either. It packs the same 5-liter V8 hybrid powertrain as the Lexus LC500/IS500, though like a Rolls-Royce it’s been tuned with silence in mind. There’s also a 406-horsepower V6 PHEV available if you want to be a bit more economical.
Then you have the Century Coupe concept (pictured above) that Toyota unveiled at the 2025 Tokyo Mobility Show. It’s an incredibly beautiful vehicle that screams luxury, power, and performance. If the Jaguar 00 concept looked like that and not like the byproduct of a twisted affair between a Chrysler 300 and a HVAC unit, Jaguar wouldn’t have as many problems as it currently does.
The Toyota Century’s current incarnations aren’t available for import, but some older models have made their way to the US where they have a cult following. Yes, again, people will need to get over their whole “A Toyota that isn’t a Grand Highlander can’t have a bit of a luxury slant” mentality. But the Century would certainly liven the 2020s US auto scene up. If only we were allowed one.
