Century Coupe concept shows off its luxury fastback silhouette

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When Toyota introduced an SUV to the iconic Century nameplate in 2023, we assumed that it would be a similar exercise to that of the Corolla nameplate—where it is now a whole bunch of different things, including a hatchback, a sedan, an estate, and even an SUV. But now, things are clear. The ‘Century’ is a standalone luxury brand that slots at the very top of Toyota’s hierarchy, yes, above the Lexus brand. And, not too long from now, a high-riding coupe might join the lineup.

I know, it looks a lot like Genesis, but maybe it’s just those similar-looking quad-pod headlights. While it may look like a 2-door coupe, there’s an asymmetrical thing going on. The driver’s side has only one door, while the passenger side has two doors with the rear door cleverly hidden. Both front and rear doors open sideways, and there’s no B-pillar. Another interesting, or rather strange, design decision is the rear windscreen, or the lack of it. But I’m pretty sure that the production model will have it.

Century Coupe concept with Akio Toyoda, Chairman of the Board

We don’t have any details whatsoever on this Century Coupe concept, but considering the fact that Toyota is not very keen on going fully electric just yet, I guess it’s safe to assume that the production model will be powered by a hybrid powertrain, with room to accommodate an all-electric variant in the future. The hood vents are probably an indication of the presence of a combustion engine underneath. But either way, the production model will compete against the likes of the Spectre and Flying Spur.

Inside, the Century Coupe concept appears to have a 3-seat layout, with the driver section separated by a thick centre console and some kind of laser beam curtain thing. I’m not 100% sure what’s going on there. The rear passenger seat can swivel towards the door to make it easy for the passenger to get in and out. It’s a strange concept, indeed, because coupes are supposed to be self-driven as opposed to chauffeur-driven, but maybe the real thing in the future will clear things out.