Toyota Century SUV is a $265,000 Bentley Bentayga rival

The Toyota Century SUV has been launched in Japan as a chauffeur-focused luxury 4WD alternative to the Bentley Bentayga and Range Rover.

Toyota's poshest SUV joins the brand's famous Century sedan that has been serving Japanese executives and dignitaries since the 1960s.

The 5.2-metre Century SUV is a touch longer than the Bentayga and similar in length to a long-wheelbase Range Rover.

Its exterior shape shares some commonality with both the Bentayga and even the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, though has plenty of distinctive elements - including the engraved, iconic 'Phoenix' badge on the grille and quad-lamp design for the headlights and tail-lights.

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Toyota has naturally focused most attention on the interior experience.

Buyers firstly have a choice of rear doors – a more conventional swing door that opens 75 degrees, or an electric sliding door. Auto-retractable steps aid ingress and egress.

The two rear seats can be fully reclined and come with a so-called 'refreshment' function.

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An audio system was developed in collaboration with a "musical instrument manufacturing master" – likely Yamaha, given the company's long-running relationship with the famous brand – to create a sound similar to that of a live performance.

Laminated glass is positioned between the rear cabin and luggage compartment to help reduce external road and wind noise.

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Where the Century sedan is powered by a 5.0L V8 hybrid, the Century SUV is instead given a 3.5-litre V6 plug-in drivetrain with electronic all-wheel drive.

Toyota says the PHEV powertrain offers the benefit of electric-only driving for daily use and petrol-electric hybrid performance for long-distance duties.

Four-wheel steering is also standard to help manoeuvrability around cities, and a Rear Comfort mode is said to help smooth the driver's control of the vehicle - including the ability to suppress jolts from any sharp, sudden braking.

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Toyota forecasts just 360 annual sales for the Century SUV, which is priced from the equivalent of $265,000, highlighting its exclusivity.

Three standard body colours are offered, with a further four colours available from the company's more exclusive Kiwami Line.

Buyers can raise that further with upcoming customisation options that will allow them to create a more unique vehicle with tailored colours, materials, and seating configurations.

The presentation even suggested wealthy purchasers could request a convertible body style.