The all-new Lexus ES has been unwrapped at a media event held in Belgium with the Japanese premium brand announcing it has dropped plans to offer the entry ES 300h petrol-electric hybrid in the UK.
Originally, following its reveal last month at the Shanghai Motor Show, senior Lexus execs confirmed three versions would be offered – including a petrol-electric version powered by the firm’s 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that is combined with an e-motor to produce 198bhp.
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No reason has been given for why the ES 300h has been axed from the line-up, but insiders speaking to Auto Express did admit if the rumoured 300bhp all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid comes online it would be offered with the remaining two EV versions. No timeline was given, other than to say the brand is monitoring market conditions and that a PHEV could arrive with the large saloon’s mid-life facelift if there was demand from customers.
The Lexus ES range will now kick off with the ES 350e that’s driven by a single 221bhp e-motor which is combined with a 77kWh battery and is expected to be capable of covering up to 530km on the WLTP test cycle on a single charge. Available with front-wheel drive only, the base Lexus ES takes 8.2 seconds to reach 62mph from rest.
