Lexus ES 300h 2019 first drive

A relatively big change in what is traditionally a conservative sector. Lexus has decided the time is right to change tack in Europe and focus on delivering volume, and the new ES plays a core role in that.

ES is a nameplate that will be instantly familiar to those in the US and Asian markets, given Lexus has shifted 2.3 million of the things since the first generation went on sale way back in 1989. It’s not a known quantity in Britain, despite now being lined up to replace the Lexus GS here. 

The reasoning is sound, however. The GS survived four generations in the UK without ever really capturing the market. But where Lexus always seemed content carving its own path with a modest 0.5% market share, now targets have been set to double that in the next year or so. 

The ES has greater potential to increase sales and profitability once supply issues have been ironed out (Lexus’ biggest markets can’t get enough of them), because unlike the rear-wheel drive GS it can compete financially with the fleet-heavy lower rungs of the executive sector: mainly the four-cylinder offerings from Mercedes, Audi and BMW.  The front-wheel drive platform is adapted from that of the hugely popular Toyota Camry, allowing Lexus to benefit from greater economies of scale and lower build costs. 

It means the ES is cheaper than the car it succeeds - a rare thing in this sector - but features more standard kit. The platform also brings more space, while Lexus claims better refinement and a more polished driving experience despite the loss of the ‘enthusiasts choice’ of chassis layout.

Lexus is as keen as you’d expect to point out that this is much more than a reskinned Camry, despite obvious design similarities. 

For starters, it adapts the GA-K platform by using lighter high tensile steel and stronger joining techniques than its Toyota relative, with additional chassis bracing and, according to engineers, the most soundproofing material of any Lexus to date. 

The suspension is a bespoke setup, with new components including swing valve shock absorbers - claimed to be a world first - that mitigate low-speed body movements. Alongside this, the top two trim levels feature lateral bracing in the form of structural dampers, while F-Sport trim brings two-mode adaptive damping.

All of this effort may be ignored by some, who will disregard the ES on account of its humble relation and ‘wrong’ driven wheels. They shouldn’t. While still a way short of the lofty standards set by the BMW 5 Series, the ES features a surprisingly well-rounded and composed chassis. 

The comfort focus is immediate from the get go. Isolation from external noise is excellent, with the new hybrid powertrain (more on that in a sec) keeping things hushed and smooth around town. It feels softly sprung, but with greater damping control than the larger Lexus LS, although some of the larger surface scarring around our Spanish test route caused the odd disturbance. 

The damping sophistication means high-speed cruising is assured and stable, helped by reassuringly weighty steering. None of this is a particular shock when it comes to a Lexus, but what is a surprise is how assured it feels in the bends.