Auto Shanghai 2021: Facelifted Lexus ES gets chassis upgrades and new touchscreen
Lexus has unveiled the mid-life facelift for the Lexus ES sedan at the ongoing Auto Shanghai 2021. Changes to the E-Class rival amount to sharper looks, an improved interior and to the brakes and chassis components.
The big news with this update to the Lexus ES is that the centre screen is now touch-sensitive. The screen has been brought 100mm closer and 5 degrees towards the driver to make it easier to use and can be had in 8 or 12.3-inch sizes. The touchpad remains as well. Other changes on the inside are new upholstery and walnut wood trim options.
Changes to the exterior of the 2021 Lexus ES are in the form of the new L-shaped detailing to the spindle grille, lightly revised front and rear bumpers, headlamps with crisper LED elements, a new alloy wheel design and revised rear bumpers. Finally, the F Sport variant is now available on the ES300h hybrid, and gets black-out exterior highlights, black 19-inch alloy wheels and gets white interior trim with white and red seat cushioning.
Mechanical changes to the Lexus amount to improvements in NVH levels while the adaptive suspension now uses new actuator to improve low-speed ride and sharpen steering response. The rear suspension is now made of a dual-sheet structure for added rigidity and the brake feel and control has been improved too. This has come by way of changes to the master cylinder in the petrol versions and more refined tuning in the hybrid. The shape and mounting of the brake pedal has been changed for improved feel as well.
The current Lexus ES is sold in India in its ES300h guise and is priced at Rs 56.55 lakh. Read our review here.
