This Lexus is coming to us after all

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What do the Audi A4, Skoda Superb and VW Passat have in common? In the past, they also came to Switzerland as sedans, but for a long time only in estate version. Classic four-door models with a three-box design (hood, passenger compartment, trunk) are having an increasingly difficult time here and there in Europe. For example, in neighboring Germany, only 250 customers bought the Lexus mid-range ES 300h last year – mostly taxi drivers with high demands on comfort and fuel consumption. Now the Toyota noblewoman’s sedan is coming towards us.

It is one of Lexus’ best-selling products worldwide, with 2.8 million units sold over seven generations. But he still has not gone to Switzerland. After the model revision, it can now be obtained from our dealers. Even out there is a lot of cars for the money with a lush five-foot overall length. Launched in 2018, the current ES generation has the typical rough Lexus front and looks like the little brother of the Lexus luxury cruise ship LS. The radiator grille with fewer struts and bi-LED headlights with three new elements each are now visually modified.

Sufficient space and assistants

Inside, something has changed, especially in terms of infotainment: the central 12.3-inch monitor is now a touchscreen. For better usability, the screen has been pushed forward 11.2 centimeters and tilted five degrees towards the driver. Also new are optional cameras instead of traditional exterior mirrors. They project their images onto monitors mounted on A-pillars, perfectly placed in the field of view. It works perfectly even in heavy rain and you have a good view of the traffic behind you. The seats are very comfortable, but could offer a little more lateral support. But in the second place there is plenty of legroom – hence a large number of customers from the taxi business.

Assistance systems are usually as generous as on Lexus: Cameras and radar sensors now also recognize cyclists during the day and pedestrians at night, and lane assist not only helps to stay in lane, but also assists in evasive maneuvers. emergency steering assistant. There’s also an adaptive assistant for the LED light, turn assist, and a 360-degree camera. Four trim levels are available, up to the optical sport package called F-Sport.

A ride for everyone

When it comes to driving, there is no other choice: a hybrid for all versions, combining a 120 HP (88 kW) electric motor and a 178 HP (131 kW) 2.5-liter petrol engine. economical Atkinson combustion cycle. System output – simply summing it up is not true for this drive – is 218 hp (160 kW). Theoretically, the consumption should be about 5.8 l/100 km; we needed about 0.7 liters more for the test round. The improvements in what is now the fourth generation of this hybrid drivetrain stand out: with the continuously variable CVT transmission, you can be comfortable on the road – driving will only be noisy if you really depress the accelerator pedal.

With a weight of 1680 kilograms, the five-seater impresses above all as a comfortable long-distance car. The Lexus ES 300h completes the standard sprint to 100 km/h in 8.9 seconds – if you want to overtake faster, you can set the drive mode switch to Sport for quicker response. Or it goes through the transmission using the paddles on the steering wheel: the six gears are programmed truly stepless automatic for this purpose. The chassis with improved rear-wheel suspension is comfortably tuned, sways slightly, but copes well with even harsher speed bumps. Much better now: the interaction between recovery and mechanical brakes is more harmonious; the brake can be dosed better.

Too bad for Switzerland: Since there is only one drive option for Europe, the V6 petrol engine and all-wheel drive are reserved for the North American market. We start with the Lexus ES 300h at CHF 55,900.

Source: Blick