Toyota Century Expert Review

Design & Build Quality

The Century SUV is what happens when Toyota takes the word “subtle” and puts it on a very large diet.

At 5.205 metres long, nearly two metres wide and 1.805 metres tall, this is a gigantic luxury machine. Yet it avoids the visual shouting that has infected much of the modern luxury-SUV market. There is no enormous illuminated grille or collection of fake aerodynamic holes. Instead, Toyota has taken the traditional Century design language and stretched it upward.

The upright proportions, formal rear-biased cabin and large uninterrupted body surfaces give it a remarkably stately appearance. The Phoenix emblem remains the visual signature, while the split-level lighting creates a distinctly modern identity without abandoning the Century's conservative character.

The SUV format actually makes more sense for Bangladesh than the old sedan in one respect: 185mm of ground clearance. Speed breakers and rough urban roads are still not its natural habitat, but at least you are not constantly worrying about scraping the underside.

The downside is width. At 1,990mm before considering mirrors, this is a substantial object in a Dhaka parking garage.

But visually, it succeeds brilliantly.

It doesn't look like a luxury SUV trying to impress you.

It looks like a luxury institution that happens to have four wheels.

If the exterior is restrained, the interior is where Toyota quietly loses its mind.

The Century SUV is designed around four people, and the rear occupants are clearly considered more important than everyone else. This is not a conventional five-seat SUV with a fancy back seat. It is effectively a pair of mobile executive lounges.

Rear passengers receive power-adjustable seats, extensive climate controls, entertainment screens, individual controls and relaxation functions. Toyota also offers a rear comfort system designed to reduce the sensation of pitching when the vehicle comes to a stop.

The cabin uses premium materials and exceptionally serious sound insulation. Wool remains part of the Century's identity, while leather and bespoke interior combinations are available.

The digital technology is finally modern enough to belong in 2026. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, USB connectivity and large displays are present, while the rear entertainment system supports Blu-ray and HDMI.

There is also something wonderfully old-fashioned about the physical controls. Toyota has resisted turning every function into a touchscreen menu.

The only major complaint is capacity.

Four people get treated like royalty.

A fifth person gets told that the Century has other models.

The feature list is almost comically extensive.

There is a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, premium multi-speaker audio, rear entertainment, connected navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, panoramic roof, powered seats, seat ventilation, seat heating, rear climate controls, powered tailgate and sophisticated camera systems.

Then Toyota adds things you don't normally associate with an SUV.

The Century has a rear comfort philosophy that changes how the vehicle manages acceleration and braking so passengers are disturbed as little as possible. Dynamic rear steering also improves manoeuvrability despite the enormous body.

The PHEV system is another major advantage. With a 69km official EV range, a Bangladesh owner with home charging can potentially complete many daily urban journeys without starting the petrol engine.

And then there is the bespoke element. Toyota offers an unusually high level of customisation, including different exterior treatments, interior combinations and wheel choices.

The one thing I would change for Bangladesh is the wheel strategy. Those enormous 22-inch wheels may look magnificent in photographs, but a country full of potholes is not the place where low-profile luxury tyres are happiest.

Give me the 20-inch wheels.

And keep the suspension soft.

Safety & Driver Assistance

The Century SUV has the sort of safety equipment you would expect from Toyota's flagship rather than a conventional luxury SUV.

Toyota Safety Sense provides pre-collision detection, pedestrian and cyclist recognition, lane-departure assistance, adaptive cruise control, adaptive high beams and road-sign assistance. Blind-spot monitoring and parking-support functions are also included.

The panoramic-view monitor is particularly useful because this vehicle is nearly two metres wide. It isn't a luxury toy; it is practically necessary when manoeuvring a 5.2-metre-long car through tight spaces.

Toyota also includes driver-abnormality support and additional collision-avoidance functions.

For Bangladesh, the biggest advantage may actually be the visibility and camera technology rather than the more exotic autonomous functions.

A Century SUV is simply too large to judge perfectly from the driver's seat.

Modern safety technology also becomes particularly valuable when dealing with Dhaka's motorcycles, rickshaws, pedestrians and unpredictable lane changes.

The one caveat is maintenance. Radar sensors, cameras and sophisticated electronic systems are expensive components.

So if you are buying a used Century SUV, don't accept warning lights or malfunctioning ADAS as “minor issues”.

On this car, they aren't.

The Century SUV has 412 PS.

And somehow that isn't the interesting part.

The interesting part is how little drama it creates.

The naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 works with electric motors and an E-CVT, sending power through Toyota's E-Four Advanced AWD system. The result is strong acceleration without the mechanical fuss associated with a conventional high-performance SUV.

At low speed, the electric motors make the car feel almost silent. At higher speeds, the V6 arrives without becoming intrusive.

The suspension is designed around comfort rather than cornering theatrics, while Dynamic Rear Steering makes the enormous body easier to place.

And then there is the rear passenger experience.

Toyota has specifically tuned braking and body movement to reduce the unpleasant pitching that passengers can feel when a heavy vehicle stops. That sounds like a tiny detail until you spend two hours being driven around town.

In Bangladesh, the higher ground clearance is a genuine advantage over the Century sedan.

But don't mistake this for a Land Cruiser.

The Century SUV is an executive luxury vehicle with AWD, not an off-road machine.

Its natural habitat is a smooth road, a chauffeur and a passenger who has somewhere important to be.