Lexus Unveils The New ES Luxury Sedan and RX 200t at Shanghai

BY Editor

Lexus Unveils the new ES luxury sedan and RX 200t at Shanghai – May 19, 2015– Shanghai, China (Techreleased) – Lexus unveiled the new ES luxury sedan and RX 200t – the turbo engine variant of the all-new fourth generation RX SUV – at the 2015 Shanghai International Motor Show today.

Lexus RX200t

New ES features an elegant and progressive styling package, enhanced luxury interior construction and new Lexus Safety System +, which was announced at the New York Motor Show earlier this month.

ES chief engineer Toshio Asahi said the comprehensive updates provided further polish to the refined sedan.

“Our development concept was ‘take the ES to the next level of elegance and progressive luxury’,” Mr Asahi said.

“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.

“We’re confident that the new Lexus ES will be a leader in its class and attract a lot of attention,” Mr Asahi added.

RX 200t will replace the RX 270 variant and features Lexus’ innovative turbocharged 2.0-litre four cylinder engine, which made its debut in the Australian market in the NX compact crossover luxury SUV in February.

The 8AR-FTS powerplant features VVT-iW (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent Wide) and a low-inertia, twin-scroll turbocharger with air-to-liquid intercooler.

It can also operate on both the fuel-saving Atkinson cycle and the conventional Otto cycle.

The engine will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission in RX 200t.

“Compared to the current-generation RX 270, you’ll notice that a major appeal point of the RX 200t is its ability to deliver seamless and continuous acceleration up to the mid- to high-speed range,” said RX chief engineer Takayuki Katsuda.

ES features elegant and dynamic new look

Lexus designers created a daring new look for refreshed ES. Its commanding front fascia features Lexus’ trademark spindle grille, which is framed in satin chrome to provide a sense of luxury and differentiation.

ES’ new headlights are equipped with LED projector technology, while L-shaped arrowhead Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) extend outside the headlight element to provide a distinctive appearance.

The fog lamps have been redesigned and relocated to the outer lower corners of the front fascia to amplify the vehicle’s wide stance.

It also has a new taillight design, which features the L-shaped theme to provide an instantly recognisable glow at night.

A restyled chrome number plate garnish flows into the clear elements of the taillights, while a new sculpted chrome-tipped rectangular exhaust provide a premium, dynamic touch.

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

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

All colours feature Lexus’ innovative self-restoring coat which allows the paint’s clear coat to heal itself, even from minor damage. This is brought to life by a multi-stage paint process that gives Lexus models a deep, jewel-like lustre.

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

Enhanced cabin exudes luxury, quality

ES’ refreshed cabin includes a new steering wheel to enhance feel and view of the instrument panel.

It combines this with a larger 4.2-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) colour multi-information display, which displays vital vehicle information and route statistics as well as multimedia information.

New “Enter” buttons on either side of the Remote Touch Interface (RTI) further enhance control and system functionality.

The interior also features new colour combinations to convey a sense of elegance.
Seats are offered in four different colours: Topaz Brown, Ivory, Moonstone and Black.

Customers can additionally choose from different seat materials and Sports Luxury models feature semi-aniline leather-accented trim as standard.

Three styles of interior trim are available to harmonise with the colour choices: Piano Black, new matt-finish Bamboo and Shimamoku ornamentation.

Shimamoku, which first appeared on GS and LS sedans, is a high-end finish of luxurious wood created through a multi-step manufacturing process carried out by skilled craftsmen.

Other upscale interior touches include seat quilting, additional trim enhancements on cabin-facing door surfaces, colour-matched upholstery along the centre console and new gear selector trim.

Chassis tuning aids handling, engines deliver smooth power delivery

Lexus engineers applied structural reinforcements to increase stiffness in ES’ unibody construction.

This form of chassis tuning, adapted from the IS sports sedan, provides ES with enhanced ride quality and improved handling.

It also has a sound-reducing layer behind the dashboard to better isolate engine noise from the cabin for optimum refinement.

Australian ES models will provide smooth power delivery and efficiency via refined 3.5-litre V6 petrol and hybrid powertrains.

On the cutting edge of safety, Lexus Safety System +

ES will be the first production Lexus to introduce Lexus Safety System +, which combines four key safety technologies into a single, networked package.

These include the Pre-Collision Safety System (PCS)^*, which detects vehicles by a combination of millimetre-wave radar and front-facing camera. It dispatches a warning as brake assist and emergency braking are activated.

Lane Departure Warning (LDW)^* employs a camera to keep track of lane marking lines on the road. LDW notifies the driver with an audio-visual alert and vibration to the steering wheel if the vehicle begins to unintentionally deviate from the lane.

Automatic High Beam (AHB)^* senses headlights from oncoming traffic and the taillights of the car in front, automatically adjusting hi-beam and low-beam illumination to help ensure optimal forward visibility during night driving.

Radar Cruise Control uses millimetre-wave radar to detect the speed of the vehicle ahead in order to adjust the cruise control speed setting to maintain a safe distance at all times. This system also uses a combination of millimetre-wave radar and camera to detect a lane change by the vehicle in front for smooth acceleration and deceleration control.

“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,” ES chief engineer Toshio Asahi said.

New ES will arrive in Australia in the second half of 2015, while all-new RX, including RX 200t, will launch in Australia in 2016.