Lexus unveils 2019 ES 26 | 04 | 2018

LEXUS HAS LIFTED the wraps from its new ES. Set to go on-sale at Scottish dealerships in January — with prices expected to start around £37,000 — the newcomer is a replacement for the GS, and will go head-to-head with the likes of the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class.

The pronounced ‘spindle grille’ at the front is one of the design cues adopted from Lexus’s recently updated flagship, the LS, as are the shoulders that fall away sharply beyond the rear window line.

Inside the cabin of the new ES, there’s a 12.3-inch infotainment display that can incorporate navigation. This is further supplemented by a digital screen in the instrument binnacle, plus the latest version of Lexus’s touchpad control system.

And while regular models use traditional materials like bamboo for the interior trim, the F Sport versions get metallic trim inspired by Japanese swords.

Though the ES will be front-wheel drive, the F Sport benefits from adjustable dampers, similar to the system offered in Lexus’s LC sports coupe.

At launch in the UK, the sole model will be a hybrid, badged ES 300h. This will feature  a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to an electric motor; total output will be 215bhp, with a claimed fuel economy of 60.1mpg.

While Lexus continues to use nickel metal hybrid battery technology instead of lithium ion, the pack in the ES 300h is small enough to fit below the rear seats. As a result, it doesn’t affect boot space.

The range is expected to expand, with the likelihood of another output from the ES 300h’s powertrain, or even a V6-based hybrid.

Related: Toyota reveals new Auris

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Jim McGill