The all-new Lexus ES luxury saloon makes its European debut today and will be on sale from spring 2026. Its development has focused on the concept Experience Elegant & Electrified Saloon, introducing new technologies and advanced comfort, connectivity and safety to ensure the ES can be enjoyed by everyone on board.
A new saloon for a new era
The all-new ES has been conceived as a model that addresses the needs of today’s customers and the Lexus approach of “making luxury personal” is central to its design. With the all-new ES, n an extended model range includes both full hybrid and battery electric powertrains, with different power options and the choice of both front and all-wheel drive.
A Lexus original
The ES is an “original Lexus,” since the brand’s launch in 1989. While the ES has been a key model for Lexus in North America and Asia for more than three decades, its arrival in Europe was more recent. It was launched in Western Europe with the current model in 2018.
Although the all-new ES is a larger car in every dimension than its predecessor, its Clean x Tech design delivers a sleek and elegant look, both inside and out.
The development programme was based at Lexus’s technical centre Shimoyama in Japan.
UK model range specifications will be announced in due course.
Exterior Design: elegance with a simple and clean design aesthetic
The ES has been developed with a new Lexus design concept – Clean Tech x Elegance.
The exterior styling combines a bold presence with a minimalist approach. In a further evolution of Lexus’s spindle-shape design hallmark, the car has a new spindle body that evokes electrified power. Overall height, width and length were calculated to produce elegant and striking proportions while ensuring the car is comfortable to enter and exit.
The front of the car presents a sharply defined spindle shape that extends across the bonnet to the bumper edges. The spindle body rises from the low-set nose and takes in the horizontally aligned front wings to give the ES a strong and distinctive appearance.
The car’s side view is sleek and streamlined, projecting a sense of stability and a low centre of gravity.
Interior: simple, clean and sophisticated
Lexus has refined the ES’s interior, removing excess detail to create a simple, clean and sophisticated space.
Luxurious comfort is assured with a range of features: the rear cabin can be fitted with reclining seats and, for the seat behind the front passenger, an ottoman leg support for an exclusive chauffeur-driven style experience.
Two new Lexus-first design elements make their debut in the new ES. Bamboo Layering uses advanced printing techniques and light transmission technology to create a surface illumination effect that synchronises with the cabin’s ambient illumination. Synthetic Leather Embossing produces a precise embossed pattern which combines with ambient lighting to produce a clean and modern aesthetic. The optimal placement of the bespoke Mark Levinson Surround Sound System’s 17 speakers creates a three-dimensional sound stage and a harmonious blend of sound and lighting in the cabin.
The cockpit is based on Lexus’s Tazuna principle, focusing the driver’s attention on the road ahead by arranging controls and information sources so they can be operated and recognised with just the slightest movement of hand and eye.
Material quality is raised with soft leather-like accents and dynamic lighting effects.
Lexus-first Hidden Switches
The high quality of the ES’s interior is supported by a new Lexus technology, Hidden Switches, which reflects the Lexus hospitality principle of Omotenashi, with a minimalist, unobtrusive design that blends seamlessly with the interior. When the car is turned off, the switches are not visible beneath the dashboard upholstery; when the driver switches the car on, they light up and are revealed.
POWERTRAINS: THE LEXUS MULTI-PATHWAY STRATEGY
ES 300h self-charging hybrids
The ES 300h that will be available in western Europe, features a redesigned self-charging hybrid system with a 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder engine, producing maximum power of 199bhp (201 DIN hp/148kW)*. Both front and all-wheel drive versions will be available.
Battery electric ES 350e and 500e
Two battery electric ES versions will be available: the ES 350e front-wheel drive model delivering an output of 221bhp (224 DIN hp/165kW)*, and the all-wheel drive ES 500e, with an output of 338bhp (343 DIN hp/252kW)*.
The ES 350e’s lithium-ion battery has a 77kWh capacity. This is expected to support acceleration from rest to 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds*.
The all-wheel drive ES 500e raises the performance bar, using a 75kWh battery unit, enabling 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds
*All data relate to the ES prototype model and remain provisional prior to homologation.
CHASSIS AND HANDLING
The new ES is constructed on a redesigned Lexus global architecture-K platform to accommodate both self-charging hybrid and battery electric powertrains. Starting from the platform, the vehicle’s structure was thoroughly re-examined, resulting in a 165mm increase in overall length and an 80mm longer wheelbase than the previous model. The front and rear tracks were increased by 64mm and 82mm respectively. As a result, the front to rear seat couple distance has been extended by 77mm to 1,102mm, creating a more spacious cabin. Higher seating positions make for easier vehicle entry and exit.
DIGITAL COCKPIT WITH NEW LEXUSCONNECT MULTIMEDIA
The ES features a brand-new digital cockpit experience which seamlessly integrates the 12.3-inch combimeter, the new 14-inch LexusConnect multimedia screen (making its market debut) and the Lexus Link+ app.
In the BEV models, the screen has a dedicated EV domain where the driver can view data such as vehicle range and live charging information, and adjust the settings for scheduled charging. The screen can also be used to operate a new battery pre-conditioning function. This brings the battery up to optimum temperature prior to charging, reducing the charging time. This is of particular benefit in colder climates.
LexusConnect
LexusConnect contributes to making driving easier and more comfortable with clearly rendered maps with Google points of interest and live information for efficient navigation such as speed camera locations and Low Emission Zone (LEZ) notifications.
Regular over-the-air software updates will ensure the multimedia functions are kept perfectly up-to-date.
Charging solutions seamlessly accessed with the Lexus Link+ app
Lexus provides two principal charging solutions: the Lexus Charging network for charging when on the move; and Lexus HomeCharge for domestic charging. Both are integrated with the Lexus Link+ app.
The Lexus Charging Network gives access to more than 870,000 charging stations across Europe. Users can check availability, charging speed and pricing and unlock charging points using the Lexus Link+ app or an RFID card.
The app can also be used to set the start and stop times when using Lexus HomeCharge, making it easy for customers to take advantage of off-peak energy prices.
ADVANCED SAFETY FEATURES
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
The ACC now integrates map data to support deceleration when approaching stop signs, roundabouts and motorway toll booths.
Pre-Collision System (PCS)
The PCS automatic braking function has been expanded to detect and respond to a wider range of driving scenarios, including electric scooters.
Driver Monitor System
This is the first ES to be equipped with a Driver Monitor. A camera mounted above the steering wheel keeps a constant check on the driver’s condition, triggering visual and audible alerts if it detects that they have lost concentration. The latest revisions mean that it can now also recognise phone use and yawning.
The system is linked to the car’s active safety systems, so that should the driver fail to respond, the car can be brought smoothly to a controlled halt with the hazard lights activated.
Blind Spot Monitor (BSM)
The scope of the BSM now includes detection of bicycles and motorcycles moving alongside the vehicle, helping prevent accidents when making left and right turns.
Lane Departure Alert (LDA)
The LDA is now able to detect roadside structures such as utility poles and median barriers, further helping prevent unintended lane departures. Lane Change Assist and Front Cross Traffic Alert are also introduced into the Lexus Safety System + package for the new ES.
The new generation model is also the first ES include Lane Change Assist and Front Cross Traffic Alert functions within its Lexus Safety System + package.