SHANGHAI MOTOR SHOW: Lexus ES and RX 200t

Lexus has revealed its facelifted ES and turbo-petrol power for its new RX at China's Shanghai motor show today.

First teased a couple of weeks ago, the midlife makeover for the large Lexus ES sedan will arrive in Australia in carry-over ES 350 and ES 300h forms during the second half of this year.

Meantime, Lexus Australia has confirmed the fourth-generation RX – which made its world debut in RX 350 form, powered by a 3.5-litre petrol V6, at the New York motor show earlier this month – will arrive Down Under next year.

While the new RX 350 and a replacement for the RX 450h hybrid are expected to be part of the local line-up, Lexus has confirmed the new RX 200t will replace the existing RX 270.

The new four-cylinder RX is powered by the same direct-injection 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine as the NX 200t mid-size SUV launched here in February.

Mated as standard with a six-speed automatic transmission and able to operate on both fuel-saving Atkinson and conventional Otto cycles, the 8AR-FTS powerplant features a low-inertia twin-scroll turbo with air-to-liquid intercooler and "intelligent wide" variable valve timing (VVT-iW).

The new-look ES, meantime, features revised front-end styling, a more luxurious interior and the new Lexus Safety System + announced at the New York show.

Making its production debut on the 2016 ES, LSS+ combines four key safety technologies into a single networked package, including Pre-Collision Safety System (PCS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Automatic High Beam (AHB) and Radar Cruise Control.

The revised ES front-end design features a dramatic new Lexus 'spindle' grille on a more aggressive bumper, plus sharper new LED projector headlight technology, L-shaped 'arrowhead' LED daytime running lights and new fog lights.

New L-shaped tail lights echo the styling theme at the rear, along with a restyled chrome number plate garnish and resculpted chrome-tipped rectangular exhaust outlet.

The 2016 ES will also feature two new 17-inch wheel designs with directional spoke patterns, while the Sports Luxury petrol model will feature a dark grey metallic, multi-plane machined 20-spoke wheel design and the hybrid variant will come with a 10-spoke design wheel.

New exterior colours, details of which will be announced closer to the time of local launch, will also join the ES paint palette.

A panoramic glass roof, which is a Lexus Australia first, will be available on ES 350 Sports Luxury as an option.

Other new features include a new steering wheel "to enhance feel and view of the instrument panel", which now comprises a larger 4.2-inch TFT colour multi-information display, plus new Enter buttons on either side of the Remote Touch Interface (RTI).

Seats will be offered in four different colours: Topaz Brown, Ivory, Moonstone and Black. Different seat materials will also be available; Sports Luxury models feature semi-aniline leather-accented trim as standard.

Three styles of interior trim will be available (Piano Black, new matt-finish Bamboo and Shimamoku ornamentation), while further upgrades include seat quilting, fresh door trims, colour-matched upholstery along the centre console and new gear selector trim.

Mechanically, Lexus says it has applied extra structural reinforcements to increase stiffness of its uni-body construction, thereby improving chassis tune and reducing engine vibration.

Lexus has sold more than 1.7 million ES vehicles globally since 1989. The sixth generation was released in Australia in November 2013 after a seven-year absence for the nameplate Down Under.

Priced from $60,500, available in ES 300h hybrid and ES 350 petrol V6 guises and last updated in October 2014, the mid-size front-wheel drive sedan is positioned between Lexus' latest IS and GS rear-drive luxury sedans.

"Our development concept was take the ES to the next level of elegance and progressive luxury," said ES chief engineer Toshio Asahi.

"The Lexus ES is renowned for its innovative exterior and interior design. We wanted to build on that and make it more elegant, and tailor the car with the latest technology Lexus has to offer.

"The new ES builds efficiently on what has made it one of the most popular luxury sedans in the world, and we are confident that this latest version of the ES will build upon its past successes.

"We're confident that the new Lexus ES will be a leader in its class and attract a lot of attention."