LEXUS will build on the success of the seventh-generation ES luxury sedan by adding a new powertrain option when the new version arrives locally in August. A new 250 grade will compliment the petrol-electric hybrid 300h.
The range expansion is also timed with the increased alignment of the new ES with the highly acclaimed Lexus LS in the areas of comfort, craftsmanship and technology. This includes a focus on benchmark ride comfort and linear handling.
In addition, new cabin ornamentation and trim, and advanced safety features are now standard across the range. The ES 250 features a new 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 152kW of power and 243Nm of torque.
An eight-speed automatic transmission provides a short first gear for direct and immediate response, plus a broad spread of taller ratios to deliver the impeccable refinement at higher speeds demanded by Lexus ES customers.
The new transmission gels with the steering and dynamics of the ES, which has undergone a 60kg weight reduction for the new 250 variant, thanks to the wide-track GA-K platform that has been further strengthened with thicker rear suspension bracing.
New dual-sheet construction also isolates road noise, enhances ride comfort and delivers more neutral cornering, allowing the ES to further its benchmark comfort and quietness, and deliver greater driver engagement.
The result is a luxury mid-sized sedan that is spacious and refined, yet responsive and rewarding – with the ES 250 and ES 300h now offering luxury customers subtle shifts in character depending on their personal preferences.
The petrol-electric ES 300h continues with an advanced 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor offering a combined 160kW of power – linked to a highly efficient eCVT, for maximum smoothness and reduced emissions.
The ES 250 and ES 300h will be available in Luxury, Luxury with Enhancement Pack, F Sport and F Sport with Enhancement Pack grades, while the ES 300h exclusively adds a Sports Luxury flagship grade.
New highlights across the Lexus ES line-up include a high-resolution 12.3-inch widescreen display that has been brought forward by more than 100mm, debuting touch-display functionality to increase usability options for the operator.
Lexus Connected Services debuts for the first time as standard on ES too, including SOS call, automated collision notification and stolen vehicle tracking.
The platform joins the improved Lexus Safety System+, with the performance of the single-lens camera and millimetre-wave radar improved to expand the response range of the pre-collision system.
Now designed to detect oncoming vehicles before right turns at intersections, the PCS can also detect cyclists in daytime conditions and pedestrians (from multiple directions0 in daytime or low-light conditions.
Newly adopted functions also include emergency steering assist. Controllability has also improved for the dynamic radar cruise control and the lane-recognition functions of lane tracing assist (LTA). Improvements have also been made to improve lateral G-forces.
The ES 300h F Sport also adopts a new actuator for a model-exclusive adaptive variable suspension (AVS), with the flow path of the hydraulic control solenoid’s oil flow control valve expanded for a wider variable range of damping force.
Both the ES F Sport and ES Sports Luxury debut BladeScan adaptive high-beam, which improves illumination of the road at night, by directing LEDs back towards a spinning blade mirror, providing a more delicate shielding of light.
BladeScan broadens the range of high beam illumination, enabling the driver to recognise pedestrians and road signs further ahead, without impeding the visibility of the proceeding driver or of drivers approaching from the opposite direction.
Two new exterior colours are also available with the new ES – Sonic Iridium, a silver that takes advantage of strong shadows to further accentuate the shape of the vehicle, and Sonic Chrome, which exhibits a metallic quality in grey.
These complement a new Hazel interior colour, which is available on ES Luxury, ES Luxury with Enhancement Pack and ES Sports Luxury grades. A newly developed Mauve can be had on the ES 300h Luxury with Enhancement Pack and ES 300h Sports Luxury grades.
The ES Sports Luxury takes famous Lexus Takumi craftsmanship a step further with new Mauve trim available in concert with new Walnut ornamentation in brown or Sumi black. Black trim is also available with a rich, contrast Bamboo option.
F Sport grades are further distinguished by the new addition of F Sport White trim, adding to the existing F Sport Black and Flare Red trim. Pricing and final specifications for the new Lexus ES will be confirmed ahead of its arrival in August, 2021.
