Toyota Century Sedan Hybrid Expert Review

The Century SUV is arguably the strangest luxury SUV on sale because it refuses to behave like one.

There is no giant aggressive grille, no collection of fake vents and no attempt to make it look like a sports car. Instead, Toyota has taken the formal design language of the Century sedan and raised it into an SUV body.

The result is enormous. At 5.205 metres long and 1.99 metres wide, this is a serious piece of Japanese real estate. Yet the upright roof, long rear cabin and restrained surfaces give it an almost limousine-like appearance.

The Phoenix emblem remains the star. Toyota's craftsmen even hand-finish the emblem and paintwork rather than treating the vehicle as another mass-produced SUV.

The SUV format does provide one significant advantage for Bangladesh: 185mm of ground clearance.

That is much more reassuring around Dhaka's speed breakers than the low-slung Century sedan.

The problem is width. A 1,990mm luxury SUV is not going to feel tiny in a Gulshan parking garage.

Still, the design succeeds because it doesn't look desperate.

It doesn't scream “I am rich.”

It quietly suggests that someone else is probably driving.

Cabin Comfort & Practicality

Inside, the Toyota Century 3.5 Hybrid focuses on seating comfort, visibility, storage and controls that are easy to use in daily driving. It seats 5 people, giving the cabin a clear family or personal-use role. The recorded equipment includes Fabric / synthetic leather depending on grade, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, height-adjustable driver seating, and keyless entry. The infotainment system uses a touchscreen, and the full features review explains the wider technology package. The steering column is Tilt and telescopic, adding useful adjustment for different drivers. For Bangladesh buyers, a good interior should stay comfortable through traffic, family trips and longer journeys. The Toyota Century 3.5 Hybrid combines its listed equipment with a cabin layout designed around everyday use. Use the detailed image gallery to see the cabin from different angles and the full specifications and features for the complete equipment list. Toyota Century 3.5 Hybrid makes the strongest case when its seating, storage and convenience features fit the way you actually drive.

The Century SUV's features are impressive because they are designed around comfort rather than gadget collecting.

Fully reclining rear seats, refresh functions, independent climate controls, premium audio, rear entertainment, power doors, retractable steps, panoramic roof, advanced cameras and connected services all work toward the same objective: making the passenger's journey effortless.

The 3.5L PHEV is arguably the biggest feature of all.

Toyota designed the system to operate as an EV for everyday driving and as a hybrid for longer journeys. The official EV range is 69km, which is enough to cover many daily urban trips without using petrol if the battery is charged regularly.

The 412 PS system output also means this isn't some slow chauffeur bus.

It can accelerate with genuine authority when required.

For Bangladesh, I would choose the 20-inch wheels over the optional 22-inch setup. The smaller wheel gives you more tyre sidewall and should be kinder to the ride and wallet.

And I'd keep the exterior completely original.

Putting aftermarket chrome accessories on a Century should probably be punishable by law.

Safety & Driver Assistance

The Toyota Century 3.5 Hybrid takes a practical approach to safety, with its recorded equipment covering the systems that matter most in everyday driving. Its listed safety equipment includes ABS, brake assist, traction control, electronic stability control, tyre-pressure monitoring, driver airbag, passenger airbag, and side airbags. The combination gives the Century a clear safety character rather than relying on equipment names alone. The vehicle has 3 recorded airbags, adding protection around the cabin. Driver assistance is strengthened by forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and driver attention warning. ABS, braking assistance, stability control, parking support and child-seat mounting points can make a meaningful difference in crowded city traffic, tight parking areas and longer highway journeys when fitted to this configuration. For the complete equipment breakdown, see the full safety review and the full specifications and features. The full features review puts the safety kit alongside the rest of the vehicle's technology, while the driving experience review explains how the car behaves on the road. You can also browse the detailed image gallery, owner reviews

The Century SUV has 412 PS.

And yet the first thing you notice isn't speed.

It is silence.

The naturally aspirated 3.5L V6 works with electric motors at the front and rear, giving the E-Four Advanced AWD system substantial low-speed torque without the noise and vibration normally associated with moving a 2.57-tonne SUV. Toyota specifically designed the PHEV to operate as an EV during everyday use and as an HEV for long-distance driving.

The E-CVT keeps acceleration smooth.

There is no conventional gearshift drama.

No turbo lag.

No exhaust theatrics.

Just a large, very expensive object moving forward with alarming ease.

Dynamic Rear Steering also helps reduce the apparent size of the car, while Toyota's Rear Comfort mode modifies braking and vehicle behaviour to reduce jolts for rear passengers.

In Dhaka, the PHEV system makes perfect sense.

Stop-and-go traffic is exactly where electric propulsion works beautifully.

The size doesn't.

But on an open road, the Century SUV feels completely at home.

It isn't an off-roader.

It isn't a sports SUV.

It is something much more Japanese:

a private executive room with 412 PS underneath it.