In an automotive market where large sedans have become something of an endangered species in an SUV-rich environment, the Lexus ES not only soldiers on but has undergone some updates to freshen things up for 2022. We got behind the wheel of this supremely comfortable cruiser on the local launch in Cape Town…
What is it?
The current (XZ10) Lexus ES arrived on our market in 2018 and has just undergone a number of minor cosmetic and packaging-related updates. Spun off Toyota’s TNGA: GA-K platform, which underpins a number of the company’s mid- to large sedan and SUV offerings, the ES is a bridge model between the ‘entry-level’ and arguably sportier IS and the luxurious and tech-laden leviathan that’s the LS. It contributes to around 28% of the firm’s sales, 85% of the company’s sedan sales and 30% of its hybrid offerings. The line-up comprises a single petrol-engined model and a brace of hybrids; the latter offered in two trim lines.
Two flavours
EX-grade trim is offered on both petrol and Hybrid ES models. This specification includes such features as climate control, 10-speaker audio system with sat-nav, tilt-and-slide moonroof, rear parking guide and electrical adjustment and heating for the synthetic leather front seats. ES, which is the preserve of the hybrid model, adds further seat adjustment and leather upholstery, 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, head-up display, extended parking guide functionality and wireless phone charging pad, among others. It also incorporates the Lexus Safety System suite, which features a pre-collision priming feature, adaptive cruise control, lane departure assist and adaptive high-beam function for the headlamps.
Exterior updates
Lexus hasn’t gone overboard with changes to the ES’s exterior; it really didn’t need to, as the ES is one of the most distinctive and classily executed members of its field, but the minor tweaks that have been implemented go some way to creating some visual unity with newer models in the firm’s local stable. The most noticeable changes take place up front, where the louvered design of that signature spindle grille makes way for a more honeycombed arrangement that incorporates vanes featuring L-shaped motifs in a nod to the prominent badge. The headlamps have also undergone some minor refinements, with the Bi-LED units in the entry-level EX-grade now featuring a single pod-style projector nacelle and more upswept indicator divider. The ES units retain the multi-projector layout but the L-shaped indicator bar makes way for a straight item that crowns the arrow-shaped DLR elements. EX-grade models roll on bicolour 17-inch alloys in a diamond-effect design, shod with 215/55R rubber, while striking propeller-effect 18-inchers in a darker contrasting hue, wearing 235/45R footwear do service in SE Hybrid models. Three new exterior finishes have also been introduced, bringing the total to a choice of 10 colours. In addition to Graphite Black, Sonic Iridium and Sonic Chrome metallic finishes join the line-up; both designed to accentuate the ES’s complex sheetmetal curves in bright sunlight.
Interior updates
The changes to the ES are more apparent in the cabin, where most of the facia panels have undergone some cosmetic revisions to accommodate what’s perhaps the most meaningful update. In a nod to the inclusion of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality to the ES’s infotainment system, the touchscreen has been moved forwards by 100 mm, making it easier for the driver to interact with the screen; not to mention lessening their reliance on that opinion-dividing trackpad interface for the infotainment system. The relocation of some previously awkwardly-sited switchgear from near the steering column to a higher point on the facia and the addition of a mauve interior trim option round out the updates inside the ES.
What’s it like to drive?
In a word, serene. The ES300h has never majored in driver involvement – its whole demeanour is just too laid back for anything more than measured and eminently comfortable point-to-point conveyance. The hybrid powertrain, comprising a 2,5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder petrol engine supplemented by a hybrid transaxle motor and a CVT transmission, develops a modest 160 kW and 300 N.m (both combined outputs compared with the combustion engine’s 131 kW and 221 N.m). Working as it does against a car measuring nearly five metres in length and weighing almost 1 700 kg, performance is adequate rather than scintillating. But the combination of impressive NVH suppression, superbly cossetting ride quality and surroundings that are beautifully crafted and spacious (I managed to sit behind a 180 cm driver and had several inches of kneeroom before me) make the hybrid ES a wonderfully soothing counter to many of its peers which feel the need to inject a degree of often uncalled-for sportiness into their provisos. We didn’t get close to Lexus’s lofty 4,6 L/100 km claimed fuel consumption on our sweeping route that encompassed Cape Town, Hermanus and Franschhoek Pass, but the 6,4 L/100 km we read on our examples trip computer impressed nonetheless.
Fast facts:
Price: R948 400
Engine: 2,0-litre, four-cylinder, petrol + elec
Power: 131 (160) kW @ 5 700 r/min
Torque: 221+e (300) N.m @ 2 000 – 3 600 r/min
0-100 km/h: 8,9 seconds
Top speed: 180 km/h
Fuel consumption: 4,6 L/100 km
CO2: 104 g/km
Maintenance plan: 7-year/105 000 km