Toyota launches luxury Century brand with Bentley-rivalling flagship coupé concept
Toyota has announced the launch of a flagship Century sub-brand with the introduction of the new Century Coupé concept – a luxury GT coupé set to take on the pinnacle of the market.
The Century name isn’t completely new to the market – it was first seen on the Toyota Century, a luxury saloon introduced in 1967 that was traditionally exclusive to Japanese buyers. It was joined by a luxury SUV in 2023, but both models were still badged as Toyotas. Now, Toyota Group has carved out space for the Century brand alongside its other marques: Daihatsu, Lexus and Toyota itself.
Century will sit at the top of the Toyota Group brand ladder, offering premium luxury models to rival such exclusive brands as Bentley and Rolls-Royce. These models will be highly personalised and only be available in small volumes.
With the launch of Century as an individual brand comes the new Century Coupé concept. Technical details are thin on the ground, but at first glance, it’s a similar size and shape to the Bentley Continental GT.
Interestingly, it has sliding doors and a three-seat layout. Its upright front grille bears some resemblance to the Bentley EXP15 concept that was unveiled earlier this year. Inside, there are three screens, with a larger one located behind the racing-style steering wheel, and two smaller portrait-oriented screens on either side.
No technical details have been revealed, so we don’t know if the Century Coupé will be powered by electric or combustion power. However, given the fact that Bentley and Rolls Royce have started offering fully electric models, there’s a chance the Century Coupé could follow suit.
For reference, the current Century Saloon uses a hybridised V8 engine, while the SUV gets a V6 – so we also wouldn’t be surprised if the Coupé goes more traditional with combustion power.
Pricing is a long way from being announced – we don’t even know if the Century Coupé will make it to production in the UK yet. However, if it’s priced anything like the Bentley Continental GT, you’ll need to have deep pockets to put one on your driveway, because that model costs upwards of £200,000.
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