Importing a Toyota Century SUV GRMN through Nhava Sheva (Mumbai) means clearing an ultra-limited, factory Right-Hand Drive Japanese flagship as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) — a process that combines precise customs valuation, mandatory ARAI homologation, and Maharashtra RTO registration, with total on-road costs running into several crore rupees above the vehicle's global list price.
For India's ultra-high-net-worth buyers, this isn't a routine car import. It's arguably the most demanding CBU clearance in the country right now — and getting any single step wrong turns a flagship acquisition into a customs dispute.
Here's exactly what the process involves.
Why the Toyota Century SUV Commands This Kind of Attention
The Century nameplate has spent decades as Japan's answer to the Rolls-Royce Phantom — historically reserved for Japanese royalty, prime ministers, and the country's top-tier corporate leadership. The SUV version carries that heritage into a modern flagship body positioned to rival the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga.
Three things make it unusually desirable for Indian buyers specifically:
- Native Right-Hand Drive. Unlike American ultra-luxury imports such as the Cadillac Escalade or GMC Yukon — built Left-Hand Drive and requiring aftermarket conversion — the Century SUV is factory-built for RHD markets, making it road-legal-ready for India without mechanical modification.
- Extreme manufacturing scarcity. Toyota builds a deliberately limited number of Century SUVs per month worldwide, and buyers are vetted and selected rather than simply placing an order.
- Chauffeur-first cabin engineering. Fully reclining rear massage seats, an acoustic glass partition separating the cabin from the luggage area, and power-sliding rear doors — engineered around being driven, not driving.
The GRMN variant pushes this further with a lowered stance, exposed carbon fiber aerodynamic elements, 22-inch forged black wheels, and electric sliding rear doors — placing its base global price around $220,000 USD (~₹1.85 crore), well above the standard Century SUV's starting point of roughly 25 million JPY (~₹1.40 crore) in Japan.
Step 1: The Nhava Sheva (JNPT) Logistics Framework
Nhava Sheva is India's principal container port for high-value vehicle imports arriving from Japan by ocean freight. Three decisions at this stage determine whether the shipment moves smoothly or gets flagged.
Ship enclosed, never RoRo. A vehicle in this price bracket should move exclusively via an exclusive 20-foot or 40-foot FCL (Full Container Load) — never Roll-on/Roll-off. RoRo exposes exposed carbon fiber aero components to sea-salt air and transit damage that an enclosed container avoids entirely.
Get the invoice right.
Nhava Sheva's appraisers scrutinize limited-run flagship vehicles closely. The manufacturer's invoice must clearly itemize the factory line items that justify the GRMN's premium over the base Century SUV. An invoice that looks under-declared against standard global allocation pricing gets the vehicle stalled and revalued upward by Customs — a delay that costs far more than the paperwork would have.
Zero-registration export certificate.
The Japanese exporter must provide documentation confirming zero previous owners and zero prior registration, with the vehicle moving directly from Toyota's factory allocation network onto the ship. If the car is registered in Japan first — even briefly, even to work around allocation constraints — it lands at Nhava Sheva classified as a used vehicle, triggering a punishing 100% Basic Customs Duty instead of the applicable new-CBU rate.
Step 2: The Financial Reality — What It Actually Costs at the Port
Based on a base assessable value of approximately ₹1.85 crore, here's how the landed cost at Nhava Sheva breaks down:
| Component | Cost (INR) |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Value (FOB Japan) | ~₹1,85,00,000 |
| Freight, Enclosed Container & Marine Insurance | ~₹5,00,000 |
| Assessable Value (CIF at Nhava Sheva) | ~₹1,90,00,000 |
| Basic Customs Duty (BCD) | ~₹1,33,00,000 |
| Social Welfare Surcharge | ~₹13,30,000 |
| IGST + GST Compensation Cess | ~₹1,69,41,000 |
| Total Duties & Import Taxes | ~₹3,15,71,000 |
| Landed Cost at Nhava Sheva Port | ~₹5,05,71,000 |
For CBU vehicles with a CIF value above $40,000, the applicable duty structure currently combines Basic Customs Duty with the Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess — importers should always confirm the exact notified rates with a customs consultant before finalizing valuation, since these rates are revised periodically in Union Budget announcements.
Step 3: ARAI Homologation — The Car Cannot Simply Be Driven Off the Ship
Since Toyota does not officially sell or support the Century brand in India, the vehicle cannot be registered on the strength of an existing type-approval. Instead:
- The car must be mounted onto a flatbed truck at the port — it cannot be driven off Nhava Sheva under its own power pre-registration.
- It is transported directly to an authorized individual-vehicle testing facility — typically ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) in Pune — for compliance testing.
- ARAI tests the 3.5L V6 Plug-In Hybrid powertrain against India's emission and safety parameters before issuing an individual type-approval certificate.
No ARAI certificate means no registration, regardless of how cleanly the vehicle cleared Customs.
Step 4: Maharashtra RTO Registration and Road Tax
Once ARAI issues the type-approval certificate, registration proceeds through a Maharashtra RTO — typically a Mumbai code such as MH-01, MH-02, or MH-03.
Maharashtra levies a 20% road tax on imported CBUs, which on this vehicle adds approximately ₹1.01 crore just for registration and license plates.
Total on-road investment in Mumbai: roughly ₹6.1 to ₹6.3 crore — against a global factory price of ~₹1.85 crore.
FAQ: Importing the Toyota Century SUV GRMN
Can the Toyota Century SUV be imported into India?
Yes, as a Completely Built Unit (CBU), through ports such as Nhava Sheva — but only via formal customs clearance, ARAI homologation, and RTO registration. It is not officially sold or supported by Toyota in India.
Why is RoRo shipping not recommended for this vehicle?
RoRo exposes the vehicle's exterior — particularly the GRMN's exposed carbon fiber components — to sea-salt air and transit handling risk. An exclusive enclosed FCL container avoids this entirely.
What happens if the car is registered in Japan before export?It gets classified as a used vehicle on arrival in India, attracting a 100% Basic Customs Duty instead of the applicable new-CBU rate — a significant and avoidable cost increase.
Why can't the car be driven immediately after Customs clearance?It requires an individual ARAI type-approval certificate before registration, since Toyota does not hold a blanket homologation for the Century in India. Until ARAI issues that certificate, the vehicle cannot legally be registered or driven.
What is the realistic total cost to own one in Mumbai?Combining the landed cost at Nhava Sheva with Maharashtra's 20% CBU road tax, total on-road cost typically runs between ₹6.1 crore and ₹6.3 crore for the GRMN variant.
Get This Right the First Time
A shipment at this value doesn't get a second attempt. A misdeclared invoice, an incorrectly timed Japanese registration, or a missed ARAI compliance step doesn't just cost time — it can cost lakhs in reassessed duty or months of a flagship vehicle sitting idle at port.
We've spent 27+ years at Multimodal Logistic Systems Pvt. Ltd. structuring high-value CBU import files, defending customs valuations, and coordinating the ARAI and RTO steps that follow — for importers and exporters across India, since 2006.
Multimodal Logistic Systems Pvt. Ltd. | Pune, Maharashtra, India