Toyota's ultra-luxury Century brand under study for Australia as global expansion begins

Toyota takes Century global, and Australia is on the study list

Toyota is expanding its ultra-luxury Century brand internationally, officially extending the nameplate beyond Japan, China and the Middle East for the first time, in reporting attributed to Bloomberg and aggregated by Ground News. The expansion is supported by a new English-language website and roughly 500 sales in 2025. "We want to showcase the latest version of the Century," Chief Technology Officer Hiroki Nakajima said, according to the report. ¹

The same report states that Toyota Motor Corporation Australia has confirmed it is reviewing the business case for introducing the brand locally, describing Century as a "One-of-One brand" combining formal heritage with modern flair. This remains a consideration rather than a confirmed Australian launch. Bloomberg also reported the timing alongside a visible signal of global ambition: chairman Akio Toyoda arrived in a Century SUV at his induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit. ¹

Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Tatsuo Yoshida acknowledged that pushing the brand might not make business sense on volume alone, but noted it signals Toyota's intent to compete in the super-premium segment dominated by European brands such as the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan, per the Bloomberg reporting carried by Ground News. ¹

A flagship brand built on six decades of Japanese statecraft

The Century nameplate was created in 1967 to mark the 100th birthday of Toyota founder Sakichi Toyoda, and for decades it has transported the Japanese Imperial family and prime ministers, Bloomberg reported. Positioned above Lexus in Toyota's hierarchy, Century was established as one of the company's five core global brands – alongside Toyota, Lexus, Gazoo Racing and Daihatsu – in the announcement that prompted the current speculation. ¹²

Chairman Akio Toyoda framed the move in emotional terms at the 2025 Tokyo Mobility Show. "The era of Japan as number one is behind us. Japan has lost some of its energy and dynamism. I believe now, more than ever, we need the Century... Top of the top, one of one," Toyoda said, as quoted by BossHunting. "Century is a brand that brings the pride of Japan, the spirit of Japan out into the world," he said, according to the same report. ⁴

Toyota's guiding philosophy for the brand is "One of One" – the idea that every Century can be configured uniquely for its owner – BossHunting noted, drawing a comparison with the personalisation business Rolls-Royce has built. The coupe concept revealed at the Tokyo show featured electric sliding doors and a cabin using traditional craftsmanship techniques, including hand-finished woodwork and washi-inspired textures. ⁴

Lexus Australia leads the local feasibility study

Toyota Australia has allocated responsibility for evaluating the brand to its premium division. "Because it is going to be positioned above [it], Lexus will take the lead on that vehicle," Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley told Chasing Cars. "Century needs very specialised attention, but there is a market in Australia, and hopefully, over the foreseeable year or two, we will be able to make a case for it. It is certainly not confirmed to my knowledge for Australia, but I think we should study it," Hanley said. ⁵

Lexus Australia chief executive John Pappas, quoted by Chasing Cars and separately by CarExpert from a briefing in Japan, confirmed the evaluation was underway. "We are currently studying whether the Century brand has a place in the Australian market to complement the Lexus brand," Pappas said. "It is very small [production] because it is handmade. They are fully customised." ⁵³

Mr Pappas gave no timeframe for completing the evaluation, and told CarExpert that open questions remain, including whether Century would be sold through Lexus' Australian dealer network or its own channels. In China, one of the few markets outside Japan where Century is already offered, its vehicles are sold through Lexus. ³

Mr Hanley told CarExpert that Lexus' experience makes it the natural steward of the study. "It will not be a Toyota product from our perspective. It's likely to sit above Lexus," he said. "Given Lexus's vast experience in that space, they're the best people to manage it." He added he was "quietly hopeful" the brand could come to Australia "in the next couple of years". ⁶

A later update from CarExpert in May 2026 tempered those expectations. Lexus Australia chief executive Jack Hobbs told the publication: "It's certainly something that's under study... I think it will be quite a long process, because it's such a unique vehicle." Product planning manager Julian Meldrum added that any car would need to be developed to meet local regulations: "So yeah, it is a long process, and it will be years, I imagine," indicating Century might not reach Australian showrooms until late this decade. ²

The product line-up: sedan, SUV and a coupe concept

The Century range consists of a large traditional sedan, a luxury SUV introduced in 2023, and a forthcoming raised coupe model, Chasing Cars reported. The current sedan uses a petrol V8-based hybrid powertrain, while the Century SUV is on sale in Japan with a 3.5-litre petrol V6-based plug-in hybrid system, CarExpert detailed. ⁵⁷

The Century Concept shown in Tokyo is a high-riding coupe with electric sliding doors, CarExpert reported, citing Japanese publication Magazine X for the claim of a rumoured 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 hybrid powertrain; a future production coupe has also been rumoured to use such a powertrain in the Bloomberg-derived reporting carried by Ground News. BossHunting noted it remains unclear what drivetrains the next-generation models will use. No timing for a production version of the concept has been given. ²¹⁴

On the powertrain question for the next Century, Toyota powertrain president Takashi Uehara confirmed to CarExpert that the next model will not be all-electric. "We have not actually decided which kind of engine will be installed," Mr Uehara said, but when asked whether it would have an internal combustion engine: "Yes, it will have an engine." He indicated the modular new ICE engine family Toyota has developed could be a candidate, with cylinder count flexible, though whether it would appear on its own or in a hybrid system is not settled. The sedan was historically the only Toyota with a V12 – the second-generation 5.0-litre 1GZ-FE – before the 2018 switch to the 2UR-FSE V8 hybrid. ⁷

As part of the global expansion, Century will be offered through Lexus dealerships rather than stand-alone showrooms, CarExpert reported, consistent with the model used in China and the United Arab Emirates. CarExpert also noted there has been no confirmation of when the first truly global Century model will be introduced, nor where it will be sold. ⁷⁶

A small but real ultra-luxury market in Australia

Chasing Cars reported that the ultra-luxury market in Australia is very small, but that brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce – like Century – do not rely on, or necessarily desire, high volumes. Throughout the first nine months of 2025, Bentley sold 95 vehicles in Australia, mostly Bentayga SUVs or coupes, while Rolls-Royce delivered 50 cars, half of them Cullinan SUVs, according to Chasing Cars. ⁵

Mr Hanley told Chasing Cars and CarExpert that he believes Australian buyers exist for the brand. "Yeah, of course, I think so – I think there's a buyer for Century in Australia, I do," he said in the CarExpert interview. "Whether we sell one, two, three of four – it's incidental to me; it's what it stands for." BossHunting, in its own commentary, suggested that if Century does come to Australia, starting prices could be expected north of $300,000 – Bentley and Rolls-Royce territory – though that is the publication's estimate rather than a Toyota figure, and no Australian pricing has been announced. ⁵³⁴

Questions such as whether the brand would leverage the growing Lexus dealer network in Australia have not been resolved, Chasing Cars reported. Lexus Australia is simultaneously working through a brand pivot of its own towards what Toyota calls 'new luxury', leaving more conservative formats to Century, according to the same report. ⁵

As for the broader global rollout, Chasing Cars reported that natural markets for Century will include the Middle East and other Asian countries, though Toyota North America is also understood to be interested in the brand. ⁵