LEXUS ES 300H EX / Democratising hybridisation

In a segment that has seen a steep decline in recent years as the advent of SUVs and crossovers continues unabated, the sedan market’s tenacity remains something to behold. The BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class continue to be popular choices, while Lexus’ ES sedan remains one of the marque’s most successful models. With both the ES 250 EX and flagship 300h SE launched at the end of 2018, the range has now been bolstered with a more affordable 300h variant in EX specification

Hybridisation continues to be top of Toyota’s agenda to reduce its carbon footprint and, with such a huge vehicle footprint, it makes logical sense to hybridise as many of its models as possible, particularly in large markets such as China and the US. Locally, however, hybrid technology has not quite cottoned onto the international trend largely because hybrid models are slapped with high import taxes by the government, making them very expensive to purchase. In its quest to thwart this somewhat, Lexus has introduced its ES 300h in EX trim, which means a slightly watered down, yet still well-specified variant of the flagship ES 300h SE.

“Expanding the ES 300h line-up was a natural extension for a luxury sedan that has had a good market share for hybrid sales over the last year. In 2019 Lexus commanded a 39% global market share of all hybrid and electric sales in the premium sector,” says Lexus sales and marketing vice president, Glenn Crompton.

WHAT IS IT?

The ES is Lexus’ medium sedan range that was introduced a few years back when the outfit decided to cull locally the slow-selling GS range. It made a great deal of sense as the ES was well-priced and specified for a vehicle of its size and the market responded accordingly to its advances. However, when the current model was launched in late 2018, it only came in ES 250 EX and 300h SE variants, which were some R300,000 apart on price. So there was a gaping void in the range and the company has finally responded with the ES 300h EX, which succinctly bridges the gap.

WHAT DOES IT OFFER?

As with the ES 250 EX, the new ES 300h EX is similarly specified, boasting niceties such as park distance control with a reverse camera, 17” multispoke cast alloy wheels, a sunroof, a rear spoiler as well as LED low- and high-beam headlamps. The slim, compact headlamp features a standard bi-LED unit with an integrated LED DRL in the classic Lexus L-motif. The LED lamp unit allows for a compact design and requires less energy, ultimately contributing to improved fuel economy.

CABIN APPOINTMENTS

An all-new feature across the ES 2020 range is the revised infotainment system which now includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility as standard, as well as free WiFi connectivity for the driver and passengers under the “Connect” banner. It works a treat and