Lexus debuts new midsize sedan
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, California — At a time when luxury cars need to try harder to compete with SUVs, Lexus thinks it has a winner in one of its most important models, the new ES midsize sedan.
The new ES, unveiled this week at a seaside resort south of Los Angeles and also at the Beijing Auto Show, gets bigger, 34 more horsepower and more tech — especially for Apple iPhone users.
While still maintaining its stylish but conservative looks, the new ES has an important role. It is Lexus’ best-selling car model with 9,263 sold in the first three months of the year in the U.S., and is eclipsed only by two SUV models in terms of sales, Autodata reports. But like many cars, it has faced its own challenges: Sales were off 2.6 per cent compared to the same period last year.
ES, too, is outsold by similar MercedesBenz and BMW models, even though it more than holds its own against many other luxury models.
While SUVs are sales leaders, “we recognize the importance of great sedans,” said Cooper Ericksen, Lexus’ vice president of marketing in the U.S.
To make it even more competitive, Lexus is making ES bigger for its seventh generation. It will be 6.6 centimetres longer and 4.56 cm wider, but slightly lower to give it sleeker look. The longer wheelbase will also make it look more powerful.
It has a larger back seat than other Lexus cars, showing how important the model is to the Chinese market. There, back seats are important because so many cars are chauffeur-driven. China outsells the U.S. when it comes to the ES.
The ES350 will sport a new 3.5-litre V-6 engine that develops 302 horsepower, a 34 horsepower boost from the previous version. Torque is up as well.
It will get a new, smoother eight-speed transmission, Lexus said.
The ES300h hybrid version will produce a total of 215 horsepower between its gas engine and electric motors, good for an expected 44 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving. Still, it is going to use a nickel metal hydride battery, a mainstay in Toyotas for more than a decade, not the newer lithium-ion technology being used in Teslas and many plug-in models.
For Apple iPhone users, the new ES will allow them use Apple CarPlay in a way that lets them control their phones through either the dashboard display or with Siri Eyes Free voice control.
The new ES goes on sale in September. Pricing hasn’t been announced.