Lexus reveals mid-life update for ES sedan

NINE months after Toyota announced a mid-life update for its Camry sedan, Lexus has followed suit with its related ES mid-sizer to be given a workover ahead of a local arrival in the second half of the year.

The Japanese car-maker has used the update to bring the ES more into line with its larger LS flagship sedan, starting with the exterior styling. 

The headlight clusters have adopted the trio of geometric square bezels from the LS within the cluster, that on certain variants will include the brand’s BladeScan adaptive high-beam tech.

BladeScan improves road illumination at night and according to the brand, allows superior light shielding for other road users through the use of a spinning blade mirror which provides more precise light shielding then other adaptive high beam systems.

Other exterior changes include a rework of the brand’s signature spindle grille to incorporate an L-shaped mesh pattern, while new alloy wheels ranging in size from 17- to 19-inches have been added.

Ride comfort is one of the most important aspects of a Lexus, and as such the brand’s engineers have made a number of changes to the ES’ suspension, starting with replacing the single-sheet rear suspension braces with a stronger dual-sheet structure.

The rear suspension’s torsional and lateral rigidity has also been improved, while the linear-solenoid adaptive variable suspension on F Sport grades has been upgraded with a new actuator allowing for a wider variable range of damping force.

Hybrid grades now feature improved brake feel through an improved mounting method for the internal bushing of the brake pedal link.

The Japanese brand has also expanded the specification levels of the ES range, starting with touch functionality for the 12.3-inch infotainment system which has been brought forward by 100mm for easier access.

Walnut has been added to the list of available trim finishes, while the interior colour palette has been expanded with the inclusion of Hazel from the LS, and the newly developed Mauve.

F Sport grades also score a new white and flare red colour scheme for the seat cushions, while two new exterior paint colours have been added to the list of options – Sonic Iridium and Sonic Chrome.

Active safety technology has been bolstered with the Lexus Safety System+ suite now including an improved single-lens camera and millimetre-wave radar for the pre-collision system, which features daytime cyclist and low-light pedestrian detection as well as oncoming vehicles.

Emergency steering assist has also been included, as has low speed acceleration control, which helps to avoid accidental pedal misapplication at low speeds.

The dynamic radar cruise control and lane-recognition functions of the lane trace assist system have also been improved.

No changes have been made to the powertrain of the ES – a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-hybrid powertrain developing a combined 160kW while sipping 4.8 litres of fuel per 100km.

The updated range is expected to carry over with the choice of Luxury, F Sport and Sports Luxury variants.

Lexus Australia will announce pricing and local specification closer to the launch of the new ES – for reference, the current range retails for between $62,525 and $77,000 plus on-road costs.

Through the first quarter of the year, Lexus has sold 188 combined examples of the ES, marking a 23.7 per cent improvement over the same period in 2020.