Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series-rivalling saloon will go on sale in May – but without Europe’s hybrid powertrain
The Lexus ES will return for its eighth generation in June as a rival to the Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series, starting from £59,345 – and be sold exclusively with electric power in the UK.
In Western Europe, the ES will be offered with a 199bhp hybrid powertrain as well as two electric options. However, given the greater proportion of EV sales in the UK compared with those in Europe, combustion-engined powertrains won’t be offered here.
Instead, the UK-spec ES will be sold from launch in only one form: the front-driven 350e. This packs a single 221bhp motor and a 77kWh lithium ion battery, yielding a range of around 329 miles between charges (although an official WLTP figure is yet to be confirmed) and a 0-62mph sprint time of 8.2sec.
On sale from 1 May, it will be offered in three trims: Premium at £59,345, Premium Plus at £68,245 and Takumi at a lofty £72,545. The latter offers luxuries such as heated, vented and reclining rear seats.
The dual-motor, four-wheel-drive ES 500e, which will be offered in Europe from launch, is mooted to join the UK line-up at a later stage. This offers 338bhp and a 0-62mph time of 5.7sec, but its range (which has yet to be revealed) will be shorter than that of the 350e.
Lexus said the new ES makes advances in “ride quality, comfort and quietness” over its predecessor and has been designed to offer “first-class comfort for everyone on board”.
The minimalist cockpit marks a complete departure from that of the previous car and has been designed with a heavy influence from the Chinese market: physical controls are few and a large, 12.3in touchscreen takes centre stage as the primary control interface. Hidden beneath the screen is a row of haptic switches that illuminate when the car is powered on.
The new ES is based on the same GA-K platform as the NX SUV. Lexus said the structure’s rigidity has been increased throughout the chassis to boost refinement and responsiveness and resulting in an “agile, responsive feel that belies its size” – which is also increased over the previous ES, by 165mm in length, to take the car to 5.14m overall.
