Lexus goes F Sport with ES300h

THE front-wheel-drive Lexus ES300h will become the ninth Lexus model line to usher in an sports-tuned F Sport variant in Australia when the new mid-sized ES sports flagship rolls off the ship from Japan in October.

Adaptive variable suspension, bigger 19-inch alloy wheels, triple-beam headlights, sports interior and F Sport exterior treatment will be the headline items for the new variant when it becomes the third level alongside the existing Luxury and Sports Luxury variants in the all-hybrid ES300h range.

At the same time, the ES300h line-up will gain Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity in a minor MY2020 update.

Lexus Australia hopes the F Sport will drive further business for the ES which has found a new lease on life since the launch of the latest generation in Australia almost a year ago.

So far this year, ES300h sales are up more than 200 per cent – from 118 sales last year to 365 sales in the seven months to the end of July – making the ES Lexus’ second-best-selling passenger car behind the IS.

Lexus Australia chief executive Scott Thompson said the F Sport added character and engagement to the ES300h while enhancing the qualities that customers love.

“Stunning design has contributed to the success of the ES300h, and the F Sport allows customers to embrace even greater visual appeal,” he said.

“Additionally the unique suspension tune subtly increases the skew towards sharper dynamics while retaining focus on the model's renowned refinement.”

The ES300h carries over the standard hybrid powertrain that combines a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor for 160kW of power and 213Nm of torque, driving the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Fuel consumption is a thrifty 4.6 litres per 100km on the combined test cycle.

The F Sport treatment includes a black mesh grille in place of the metallic bars of the standard variants, along with black-finished lower bumper paintwork.

The headlights get three LED beams instead of the standard two, while wheels grow two inches in diameter, from 17-inch to 19-inch, with a chunkier spoke design.

Adaptive variable suspension has five modes – normal, sport S, sport S+ and custom – that Lexus claims retains the ES’s silky ride in normal mode, but ramps up the handling response in the sports modes.

Inside, the F Sport touches include an 8.0-inch digital driver information display, contoured sports seats embossed with the F Sport logo, perforated-leather sports steering wheel and aluminium garnishes polished in the Hadori fashion – the same way as Japanese Samurai swords.

Interior colour choices are red and black interior trim, each with a black roof lining. Ten exterior colours are available, including an F Sport-exclusive Cobalt Mica.

Pricing will be announced closer to launch. As a guide, the two current variants are priced at $59,888 plus on-road costs for the Luxury and $74,888 for the Sports Luxury.