Lexus ES

The sense of extreme dynamism and athleticism in the exterior of the Lexus ES has been carried forward for the cabin layout as well, which looks youthful and a supremely luxurious place to be in. All the variants of the Lexus ES come with leather upholstery as standard, with the Premium and Luxury variants having dual-tone black and walnut brown upholstery with wood trim and a dual-tone black and red upholstery with aluminium trim offered in the F-Sport. 

The three-spoke multi-functional steering wheel, which has a huge centre boss and curved spokes, comes with a modern-looking full-TFT instrument console (7-inch TFT in Premium and Luxury variants and 8-inch TFT in F-Sport). Besides this driver’s cockpit is the asymmetric centre console, which houses a standalone 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, along with an old-school cluster of buttons below it. These conventional buttons control the 10-speaker Lexus premium sound system and three-zone automatic climate control offered in the Lexus ES.

Other premium features, which grace the luxurious and well-appointed cabin of the Lexus ES are an electric tailgate, moonroof, power-adjustability for the steering wheel with memory function, three-zone automatic climate control with rear AC vents and air purifier, 10-speaker audio system, ventilated front seats, wireless charger, powered front seats with memory function for the driver’s seat and power reclining for rear seats. 

The Lexus ES starts to feel distinctive when compared to the rest of the premium midsize luxury sedans right from the way it looks on the outside. Lexus has given the ES a very sleek and dynamic appearance on the outside, which oozes sportiness and sophistication at the same time. 

The front profile of the Lexus ES features the brand’s now-iconic spindle-themed grille, which gets a chrome finish all around and small angular inserts within it in the Premium and Luxury variants and an all gloss-black theme with honeycomb mesh design in the F-Sport variant. While the bonnet of the Lexus ES has prominent curves over it, the boomerang-shaped, Z-themed all-LED headlamps and wedge-shaped faux air dams with chrome garnish add more to the stylish look of the ES. The faux air dams are even larger in the F-Sport variant for an added sense of aggressiveness. 

The low-slung side profile of the Lexus ES looks elegant when you watch it from the side, with the sedan having 18-inch machined alloy wheels in the Premium and Luxury variants and sporty gloss-black machined alloys in the F-Sport variant. A sleek character line running through the upper part of the door panels adds a sense of continuity in the design of the Lexus ES, with the sedan also having sporty-looking, aerodynamic door-mounted rear-view mirrors and chrome surrounds for the window panels.

The Lexus ES continues the combination of sportiness and elegance even at the rear with its sleek combination of LED tail lamps having a chrome finish around them. These tail lamps have tapered inner edges, which are joined by a long and curved character line on the boot lid above the license plate housing, with nice curves flowing over the corners of the rear bumper.

All the variants of the Lexus ES share the same suspension setup too, with McPherson struts at the front and trailing wishbone at the rear, both of which get stabilizers. Apart from drive modes offered in all three variants, the Luxury and F-Sport variants also come with performance dampers for a more spirited driving experience behind the steering wheel.

All three variants of the Lexus ES share their 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine, which is the same engine that powers the NX SUV from the brand. The 8-speed automatic transmission offered in the Lexus ES as standard channels the power produced to the front wheels of the car, with the engine capable of producing a maximum power output of 205 PS and a maximum torque output of 247 Nm.

While the ES might be the most affordable sedan in the Lexus lineup for the country, it makes sure that it gets many of the in-demand safety features on board. The list of safety features here includes a front pre-collision system, dynamic radar cruise control, lane keeping assist, automatic high beam, ASB with EBD and brake assist, active cornering assist, vehicle stability control, tyre pressure monitoring system, a blind spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert, electronic parking brake, front and rear parking sensors, reverse parking camera with panoramic view and 10 airbags. 

The Lexus ES might be considered an underrated offering in the presence of German rivals with a slightly outdated powertrain and centre console on the inside. However, this same engine is bullet-proof reliable and refined, while the sedan has no dearth of comfort, convenience and safety features, and dynamism in its appearance on the outsides.