When Toyota decided to take on the luxury auto world with its nascent Lexus brand in 1989, there were two cars in its initial lineup: the world-beating LS400 sedan, and the smaller ES sedan. Lexus recognized that many customers would want a midsize executive car that was imbued with Lexus’ trademark quietness, advanced features, and reliability.
Sure enough, 32 years later, the ES has been a success. More than 2.65 million Lexus ES have been sold worldwide. Despite the current rise of SUVs and crossovers, the ES sedan remains significant for Lexus, making up a quarter of its 2020 sales.
Lexus Philippines is now set to launch the refreshed and upgraded 2022 ES sedan. Numerous styling, technology, and perfomance enhancements have been made on the car. The new ES carries a distinctive look that makes it a dead ringer for the flagship LS, just on a slightly smaller scale. There’s a new rendition of the brand’s spindle grille, a large chrome-trimmed maw on the front fascia. It’s flanked by headlamps with multiple LED units and L-shaped daytime running lights.
The usual sumptuous Lexus cabin follows the brand’s “Seat in Control” concept. This helps to enusre that all information is in easy view, and controls ergonomically positioned within reach. The Lexus Multimedia System is centered around an 8-inch touchscreen contorl panel. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Miracast and smarphone linking are provided as standard. There’s an in-dash DVD player so you can enjoy uncompressed sound quality should you wish, piped to the premium sound system with 10 speakers.
Front seats are 8-way power actuated. The ES350 Premiuer adds available power easy access to the front seating positions. Upgrades include ventilated 10-way power front seats, as well as power rear seats. Rear door and rear window sunshades are provided. The trunk lid features hands-free power actuation. The aircon system uses 3-zone automatic climate control with clean air filter with pollen and odor removal. Perhaps most important to some customers, the touchscreen panel increases to 12.3 inches. Audio is by the awesome-sounding Mark Levinson Premium Surround System with 17 speakers. A wireless charger is also provided.
Lexus ES measures 4975mm long x 1865mm wide, making it more manageable for most garages, and wheelbase is a generous 2870mm. In the ES350 Premier, power is provided by a 3.5-liter DOHC V6 engine, good for 302 ps and 356Nm. It’s paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission, with drive going to the front wheels.
As expected from Lexus, there is a hybrid option. The ES300h is powered by a 2.5-liter inline-four cyinder engine with 178ps and 221Nm. The engine features optimized intake port and laser-clad intake valve seats to improve air flow and combustion. It’s augmented by a 120ps / 202 Nm electric motor, for a total system output of 218ps. The hybrid battery is located behind the rear seats, so as not to reduce the trunk space.
Lexus promises a more responsive ES, with the car following the Lexus Driving Signature design and tuning process. The rear suspension has been reinforced for greater rigidity to improve handling and ride comfort. The braking system has been updated, too, and even the brake pedal has been enlarged for better actuation. Regenerative and hydraulic braking on the ES hybrid have been optimized to provide better brake pedal feel.
The Lexus Safety System on the ES350 Premier tries to reduce three of the most common crash types: frontal collisions, lane departures, and nighttime collisions. The car is equipped with dynamic radar cruise control, adpative high beams, lane tracing assist, blind spot monitor, and rear cross-traffic alert.
Exterior colors include Deep Blue Mica, Red Mica Crystal Shine, Sunlight Green Metallic Mica, Sonic Iridium, Ice Ecru Metallic Mica, Sonic Quart, Graphic Black Glass Flake, Sonic Titanium, Sonic Chrome, and Black. The semi-aniline leather is available in Rich Cream, Hazel, Mauve, and Black; and synthetic leather in Hazel and Black. Trim options are walnut in Sumi Black and Brown, Bamboo; and 3D Film.
The Lexus ES300h is priced at P3.758 million, while the ES350 Premier is priced at P4.728 million.
