Toyota now has two global prestige brands - and both are seeking to make territorial gain.

SIX-wheel flagships, single-seat pods – and also a stunning looking sports car.

Lexus had a stage-full of concepts at Japan Mobility Show, in Tokyo, for yesterday’s opening day.

The swathe of design studies presented by Simon Humphries, the chief branding officer, landed on the same day Toyota left impression Lexus might bump down from its traditional position as the top dog brand from Japan’s No.1.

That’s because it has also announced intent to globally provision Century, previously a single car but now a full-blown brand, as its ultimate expression of luxury.

It intends not only a new luxury sedan - the kind of car it has been building for years - but also a big sports utility and also the coupe (pictured), unveiled at the show.

All are expected to feature hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrains and also incorporate advanced driver-assistance systems.

The cars are designed to cater to chauffeur-driven owners as well as driver-enthusiasts seeking comfort and understated luxury.

The Japanese already understand and accept this proposal - Century has long been regarded on its home turf as Japan’s most prestigious limousine.

No comment about where, or if, Century will place in New Zealand has been made by Toyota NZ.

Meantime, Lexus has used the mobility show as an opportunity to share its evolving vision of luxury.

Rather than defining LS solely as a sedan or SUV, the brand now positions it as a “Luxury Space” — a flexible, mobile sanctuary where freedom and privacy become the ultimate commodities. So it could be a car. Or a pod. a personal air mobility device. Or a boat.

Humphries said the LS Concept reflects a changing world in which personal space, time and emotional connection have become as important as performance.

The six-wheeled LS show car delivers a configuration designed to maximise interior room and accessibility. The ideal is that this cabin functions more like a lounge than a traditional car interior, blurring the line between home and transport.

The LS Coupe Concept, on the other hand, is designed to balance comfort and excitement for both driver and passenger.

It also threw in what seems to be a re-intepretation of the most desirable Lexus of all, the stunning V10 LFA produced between 2010 and 2012.

Humphries said the concepts express Lexus’s core philosophy of “Discover” — encouraging customers to pursue new experiences while the brand expands beyond traditional categories of cars, boats, and aircraft.

With Century, meantime, the idea is to create a car that can challenge in the global ultra-luxury market traditionally dominated by Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

Toyota says it will undertake this by delivering fare that combines traditional craftsmanship with modern technology; the concept aims to deliver what Toyota is calling a uniquely Japanese expression of refinement to global customers.

Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda says the new Century line will carry Japan’s pride and craftsmanship onto the world stage.