BEIJING MOTOR SHOW: New Lexus ES lobs

The next-generation Lexus ES sedan will be offered exclusively as a hybrid vehicle when it arrives in showrooms from October 2018, as Lexus turns its attention to fleet buyers.

As sales of the new imported Camry hybrid continue to climb, the Japanese car giant's luxury brand Lexus has made the bold decision to offer the ES car as a petrol-electric hybrid only, the 300h.

The new Lexus ES will meet official hire car requirements for size, boot space and fuel efficiency, allowing it to fill the void left by departure of Aussie-made large cars for government fleets in particular.

Offered in two grades in Australia, the Luxury and Sports Luxury models, the 2018 Lexus ES will pump out a combined 153kW of power from its fourth-generation hybrid system comprising a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and lighter, more compact electric motor. As before, drive is sent to the front wheels.

It's not a plug-in hybrid system and instead self-charges its nickel-hydrogen battery, which is now smaller - allowing more boot space.

Lexus reckons the new ES will uses less than 6.0L/100km.

Based on the same platform as the new Toyota Camry and most emerging new Toyota vehicles, the ES is longer (+65mm), lower (-5mm) and wider (+45mm) than the vehicle it replaces, with wheels that have been pushed closer to the corners thanks to a 50mm longer wheelbase and wider tracks front (+10mm) and rear (+37mm).

The platform is set to deliver "sharpened driving performance", according to Lexus, matched by a quieter cabin and more interior space.

Dynamically, the ES benefits from a new multilink suspension design, rack-mounted electric power steering and a V-brace that is mounted behind the rear seat.

Safety is also improved in the seventh-generation model, moving it into line with other products based on the TNGA platform. Automonous emergency braking and a daytime cyclist detection function are now standard fare on the ES, as is lighting system that comprises 24 individual LEDs.

Lexus Australia chief executive Scott Thompson said the move to a hybrid-only line-up reflected the brand's global direction.

"In Australia, hybrid accounts for 30 per cent of Lexus sales, so offering the latest generation ES solely with an advanced self-charging hybrid system represents another significant milestone towards greater electrification of our line-up," he said.

When the Lexus ES was last updated in 2015 almost two thirds of hybrid sales went to fleet buyers and the percentage of fleet buyers will rise as the new model abandons traditional private buyers.