While the Toyota Motor Corporation unveiled a series of concepts under the Toyota, Lexus and Daihatsu brands, perhaps one of the biggest news was the launch of Century as a separate entity to Toyota and Lexus, alongside debuting a new Coupe-SUV concept.
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Speaking at the Japan Mobility Show, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda said, “Century is more than just the name of a car. It is a heartfelt desire for world peace, and an endeavour to shape the next one hundred years from Japan. That is what the Century means to me. With Shoichiro’s passing, I came to see this as my personal mission. Of course, I cannot do it on my own. Thankfully, at Toyota, we have many colleagues who carry on the spirit of Kenya Nakamura. Together, we have decided to launch the Century brand. “One of One” or as Nakamura put it, “To be like no other.” Century is not just another brand within Toyota Motor Corporation. We want to cultivate it as a brand that brings the spirit of Japan―the pride of Japan―out into the world.”
Kenya Nakamura was the project leader behind the first-gen Toyota Century and also credited for his work on the Crown sedan.
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The move looks to establish the Century nameplate alongside the likes of European ultra luxury car brands such as Bentley and Rolls-Royce, with the Century brand positioned above Lexus – hints of which Toyota previously previewed in the buildup to the Mobility Show.
As for the concept, the Coupe-SUV looks to be based on the current Century SUV but featuring extensive design updates. Up front, the concept features a unique body-coloured cheese-grater grille bearing the Century phoenix emblem flanked by a quad headlamp set-up reminiscent of the SUV. The concept also retains the boxy proportions of the SUV, too.
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It’s when viewed in profile that the concept really stands apart from the production SUV. The concept gets a coupe-style roofline that flows neatly into the rear boot lip and a unique three-door arrangement. The driver’s side features a single forward sliding door, while the co-driver side features a full-size front-sliding door and a rear-sliding half door for ease of entry to the rear seats.
As with the production Century siblings, the concept too puts the focus on being chauffeur-driven – the co-driver side lacks a front seat. The driver seat is separated from he rest of the cabin via a unique vertical partial partition, while the co-driver seat has been deleted to free up space for the rear occupant to really stretch out. The driver themselves get a digital instrument cluster behind a yoke-style steering flanked by twin smaller displays for varying in-car and infotainment functions.
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The cabin also hides smaller luxury design touches such as a coat hanger built into a central spine that spans the length of the roof and an umbrella tucked away into a dedicated housing on the rear bulkhead behind the passenger seat. The rear co-driver side seat also rotates outwards for ease of entry and egress.
No powertrain details have been shared for the coupe, though it could feature the same strong hybrid set-up as the standard SUV if it makes it to production.
Given the nature of the announcement and the following concept, the Century coupe concept could be seen as a statement of intent from Toyota as it spins off the Century brand from being a flagship model under the Toyota nameplate to its own dedicated line, which could include its own unique sales channels.
Aside from the concept, Toyota also showcased a sportier-looking Century GRMN with blacked-out detailing as well as a Century SUV Tailor Made in what could be a new customisation programme.
