Toyota's ultra-luxury Century brand to stick to ICE power despite global EV push

At the Japan Mobility Show 2025, Toyota launched the new Century ultra-luxury brand that will sit above Lexus in the Japanese carmaker’s global lineup to take on the dominance of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. While the name builds on the iconic luxury sedan that has served as a testament to Japanese automotive craftsmanship, the new brand will include sedan, coupe, and SUV models under its banner, all of which were on display at the event.

Although there have been murmurs about whether the new lineup will transition exclusively to electric power, as other brands such as Jaguar have done so far, Toyota executives reiterated that Century will continue to be ICE-powered.

Multi-pathway powertrain strategy

While Toyota is developing EVs across multiple segments, it stated that the ultra-luxury brand will pursue a multi-pathway strategy and offer different powertrain solutions under its belt, depending on the model and market demands.

During media interactions, Toyota’s leadership confirmed that at least one of the upcoming Century models, potentially the performance-oriented coupe, will feature an engine. Final specifications are yet to be announced, but the company hinted that various ICE layouts are under consideration.

Electrified V8 likely for future models

The upcoming Century Coupe is expected to feature an electrified V8 power unit

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The upcoming Century Coupe is expected to feature an electrified V8 power unit

While the carmaker has not disclosed the exact power unit for the Century Coupe, an electrified V8 remains the most likely to be fitted under its hood. The current Toyota Century sedan has a hybrid V8 setup, and a similar configuration could be adopted by the Coupe and potentially by the Toyota GR GT sports car, which will debut globally tomorrow.

Toyota is already working on a new generation of modular internal combustion engines designed to be applied across its brands. These engines can be configured with different cylinder counts and mounted in longitudinal or transverse layouts, supporting front-, rear- or all-wheel-drive platforms. Such flexibility will enable Century to follow through with its multi-pathway approach, leaving the door open for V6, V8 or electrified power units tailored to each Century model.

A long ICE tradition

The decision to retain engines ties back to the Century’s heritage. The second-gen Century sedan (1997–2017) famously ran a 5.0-litre V12, which is, to this day, the only V12 engine ever fitted in a Toyota. That motor was later replaced by an electrified V8 for the third-gen model, which shares its core architecture with the Lexus LS600h.

In 2023, Toyota introduced the first-ever Century SUV for the Japanese market, powered by a 3.5-litre plug-in hybrid V6. With the addition of a coupe and an expanded lineup of ultra-luxury models, Toyota now sees ICE and hybridised V8 powertrains as essential to the Century’s identity and competitiveness.

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