Lexus ES confirmed for Oz

Lexus Australia has announced it will reintroduce the ES nameplate to local showrooms in the fourth quarter of this year, after an absence of seven years.

First revealed at the 2012 New York motor show, the sixth-generation ES follows the left-hand drive-only Mk5 ES 350 and the last ES to be sold in Australia, the Mk4 ES 300 sold here between 2002 and 2006.

Lexus says it has been working on a right-hand drive business case since it appeared 12 months ago and points out the latest ES is longer and lower than Toyota’s locally built Camry, on which previous generations were based.

Now underpinned by a version of the longer platform that resides under North America’s large Avalon sedan, the 2013 ES rides on a 2820mm wheelbase (versus the Camry and Aurion’s 2775mm) and measures 4900mm long (v 4835mm), 1820mm wide (v 1825mm) and 1450mm high (v 1470mm).

The Commodore-sized ES therefore offers about 100mm of extra rear legroom compared to its predecessor, and comes standard with up to 10 airbags.

Lexus Australia says it is currently negotiating with Japan to secure the powertrain/s that will allow it to hit its intended price point, which is again expected to be positioned between the mid-size IS and large GS rear-drive sedans.

Lexus launched its new GS – which is actually 50mm shorter than the new ES - here last year and the next-generation IS sedan will arrive Down Under within months. The new ES will see Lexus renew most of its passenger car range within about 18 months.

Excluding the IS F sports sedan ($126,300), the outgoing IS sells for between $55,800 and $80,800, while the GS line-up kicks off at $77,400, so the new ES should be priced somewhere in the $60,000s.

In Japan, the front-wheel drive medium sedan is available with versions of both the Camry’s 2.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid drive system (ES 300h) and the RX 350’s direct-injection 204kW/346kW 3.5-litre petrol V6 (ES 350) – not the 233kW/378Nm 3.5-litre direct- and port-injection V6 from the GS.

The hybrid version returns fuel consumption of about 6.0L/100km, while the pure-petrol ES 350 consumes 9.8L/100km.

The ES continues to be Lexus’ second best selling model globally and is positioned as a larger, more spacious and more comfortable sedan than both the rear-drive IS and ES, although it claims the Mk6 ES is the most dynamic ever.

“When I commenced development of the new ES, I drove all of the previous generations to gain an understanding of its strengths and weaknesses,” said ES Chief Engineer Toshio Asahi.

“Immediately I determined that space, refinement and comfort were the priority, but I also knew that dynamic performance needed some attention.

“To improve ES' overall drive experience we started at the foundation, engineering a longer, wider, lower and more rigid platform - the perfect base for ES' bespoke suspension.

“The result is an ES that offers a driving experience unlike any vehicle before it, while maintaining those hallmark comfort, space and refinement characteristics.”

Lexus sold nearly 7000 ES sedans across four generations in Australia from 1992, and says that about 2800 are still being serviced at the dealership from which they were sold.

Hence, it hopes the lack of any direct (large front-drive luxury sedan) rivals here and a loyal, Camry-like customer base – including many user-chooser company car buyers – will cement the sixth generation’s place in the Lexus Australia line-up.

“Today we still have many loyal ES owners who refused to purchase anything other than an ES and the great news is they won't have to wait much longer for the exciting new model,” said Lexus Australia Chief Executive, Sean Hanley.

“This all-new ES is not only redesigned, re-engineered and with more power; it returns to Australia with a loyal customer base and in a form that will attract new customers to the Lexus family.??“The ES is unique in the luxury segment in offering a vehicle unmatched for space, comfort and quality - it is effectively peerless,” he said.

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