Lexus LX

“Next year? Century Cross”” attracts attention. Will “”Alphard”” become a standard model? Is the new “”Crown”” also popular? What is the “”president’s favorite car”” as told by a current driver?

You have to be an executive driver to know what it is? What is a popular executive car?
　Presidents, executives, bank presidents, and other so-called “”bigwigs”” of large companies usually have their own “”executive drivers”” and a “”president car/officer car (VIP car),”” which is their exclusive courtesy car.
　
　Different companies generally utilize different models of these cars, but what models are popular?

Coming out next year? Toyota “”Century Cross”” is so cool! Top-end specifications of sedans & SUVs in images .

What kind of cars does the president like? Which models are the most popular show cars? Rumor has it that the “”Century Cross”” will appear in 2023? (Photo: theottle)

　Routes from home to the office, from the office to a dinner party, from a business trip to the office, etc., vary, but basically, the executive car is used for transportation within the range that can be traveled by car.

　A car that carries corporate executives in the back seat is sometimes called a “”show car”” (or “”show driver””), meaning a car with a driver.

　Mr. A, who actually works as an executive driver in Tokyo, says, “”I pick up the driver when he returns to the airport from his business trip, or take him to and from the office to the building where the meeting is being held, or I drive a completely different route depending on the day.

　There are a wide variety of executive cars, depending on the company and the executive.

　For example, the most commonly used executive cars are the Toyota Century and Crown, the Lexus LS, the Nissan Cima and Fuga, the Mercedes-Benz Maybach and the BMW 7 Series, and many other models are used. The reality is that the model used varies depending on the characteristics of the company.

　Furthermore, even within the same company, different models are often assigned according to titles, such as president, vice president, and senior managing director.

　In other cases, a company may have several executive cars, and each executive can travel in the model that he or she wants to drive.

　Although there is no specific definition of executive cars, there seems to be a trend toward popular models, but what models will be popular as executive cars in 2022?

　Mr. A mentioned above says, “”A wide range of models are being utilized,”” and then goes on to talk about popular models as executive cars as follows.

In the case of relatively ‘serious’ companies such as banks, the LS, Crown, and Cima tend to have the highest usage rates, in that order.

　The Century, which is generally associated with the image of an executive car, is used by many large, partially listed companies.
　
　As can be seen, the LS, Crown, and Cima are the most commonly used executive cars.

　Mr. A also says, “”Recently, the Executive Lounge of the Toyota Alphard, which has a spacious interior, has been widely used.

　The Executive Lounge, the highest grade of the Alphard, is one of the most comfortable cars in the market.

　The second-row captain’s seat in the seven-seater version has a special seat called the “”executive lounge seat.

　In addition to the electric reclining and extendable electric ottoman, the seats are equipped with features such as air blowing from the seat surface and back, and heated seats for comfort in any season.

　A dedicated table and power outlet are also included, so electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers can be used while charging.

　Models such as LS, Crown, and Cima are often utilized as executive cars and can be said to be truly royal road models, but the fact that Alphard is being utilized more and more these days suggests that more and more executives are seeking “”comfort”” over “”safety.

* * *

　In addition, more and more people are using SUVs such as the Lexus “”LX Executive,”” Mercedes-Maybach “”GLS,”” and Rolls-Royce “”Cullinan”” these days, suggesting that the SUV boom may be coming for show carriers as well.

　Furthermore, the new Toyota Crown, which became the 16th generation in July 2022, launched the Crown Crossover, which combines a sedan and SUV, and the Crown Sedan is scheduled to be introduced as a series in 2023.

　According to several presidents and executives, “”We are considering the new Crown Crossover”” and “”We want the Crown Sedan when it comes out next year.

　Furthermore, overseas, virtual tuner Theo Throttle posted a rendering of the Century Cross, an SUV version of the Century, which caused quite a stir.

　Rumor has it that the Century Cross will be released in 2023, and if it does appear, it may become synonymous with a new show car.”