Lexus adds safety kit and bigger pricetag to ES300h

LEXUS Australia has added to the list of standard safety kit fitted to its entry-level ES300h Luxury mid-sized sedan while the range as a whole has crept up in price by up to $2037.

Now kicking off from $62,525, the biggest price increase actually belongs to the Luxury and is largely the result of it gaining advanced rear cross-traffic alert and blind spot monitoring, features that were already included as standard on the higher grades.

According to Lexus Australia chief executive Scott Thompson, the upgrades to the ES300h were reflective of the brand’s commitment to regular model updates.

“Lexus wants to ensure all ES customers experience the highest level of active safety and driver assistance technology,” he said.

“This update also means the ES will best complement the forthcoming new Lexus IS and together provide even more desirable segment options for luxury customers.”

Aside from the two new safety features added to the Luxury, no other changes have been made to line-up other than the previously mentioned price increases.

As such, the Luxury’s standard equipment still consists of keyless smart entry, tilt and slide moonroof, privacy glass, 12.3-inch multimedia screen with Lexus remote touch controller, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation with live traffic updates, wireless phone charging, head-up display, heated power-adjustable front seats, auto-dimming rearview mirror, dual-zone climate control, Lexus Climate Concierge and a 10-speaker audio system with DAB+ digital radio.

On the exterior, the Luxury rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels and sports LED headlamps, daytime running lights and tail-lights.

Existing safety kit on top of the new blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert system includes intelligent clearance sonar, parking support brake, radar active cruise control, road sign assist, pre-collision safety system with pedestrian detection and lane tracing assist, tyre pressure warning automatic high beam.

Those after a few extra toys and visual menace without stepping up to the F Sport can opt for the $6350 Enhancement Pack which adds bigger 18-inch alloys, wider and lower profile tyres, heated and ventilated front seats with 14-way power adjustment and memory function for the driver, panoramic view monitor and a rear window power sunshade.

Priced from $71,500, the mid-range F Sport has crept up in price by $1745 and in addition to the Luxury’s standard kit, boasts 19-inch F Sport alloy wheels, F Sport adaptive variable suspension, F Sport body kit, drive mode selector, 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster, panoramic view monitor, three-eye bi-beam LED headlamps, adaptive high-beam system, F Sport seats and a rear window power sunshade.

Just like the Luxury, an optional Enhancement Pack is available ($4000) which adds a 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, hands-free power boot-lid and heated steering wheel.

At the top of the range is the Sports Luxury which has risen in price by a sedate $1512 to an even $77,000.

Compared to the F Sport, the flagship variant adds unique 18-inch Sports Luxury alloys, hands-free power boot lid, Mark Levinson 17 speaker audio system, tri-zone climate control with humidity sensor, heated and ventilated front seats with 14-way power adjustment and memory function for the driver, heated and power adjustable reclining outer rear seats, heated steering wheel with leather accented and woodgrain inserts, semi-aniline leather accented interior trim, air conditioned rear armrest with audio, rear heater, rear reclining and sunshade controls as well as a rear window (power) and rear door (manual) sun shade.

While not going into specifics, Lexus Australia said the price increases were a result of the fluctuating global economy and insisted that the increases were modest “when measured against movements in the AUD/JPY exchange rate”.

All ES300hs are powered by the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder self-charging hybrid powertrain generating a combined 160kW of power.

The internal combustion engine produces 221Nm while the on-board electric motor contributes an extra 202Nm, however Lexus does not quote a combined torque figure.

Power and torque are sent to the front wheels only by a continuously variable transmission (CVT) while fuel economy is pegged at 4.8 litres per 100km on the combined cycle.

According to the August round of VFacts figures, Lexus sold 377 ES300hs through the first eight months of the year, just two units clear of the similarly sized, rear-wheel-drive IS and accounting for 4.8 per cent of the $60,000-plus medium car segment.

2020 Lexus ES300h pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs