The New Fully Electric Lexus ES 350e

In the U.K. Lexus trimmed down it’s saloon car offerings deleting the much loved IS, GS and LS from it’s line-up a few years ago and replacing them with the solitary ES. But this new ES arrives in the summer as an electric car to rival to the likes of the BMW i5, Audi A6 and the Volvo ES90.

The ES 350e provides Lexus with a second EV in their range after the stylish RZ crossover SUV, having removed the slow selling UX EV last year.

Lexus has put a lot of effort into the design and it reflects that in a stunning way. Like its sibling the RZ, the ES 350e has very striking looks which should attract plenty of admirers.
It also has a very welcoming (but not as striking) interior full of technology, luxury and nice materials.

There are three trim levels offered at launch: Premium, Premium Plus and Takumi. 

Premium

The Premium trim has a 12.3-inch driver’s display and 14-inch central display called the “Lexus Connect multimedia screen”.
The front seats are power-adjustable, with a memory setting for the driver plus the seats are both heated and ventilated. And to keep customers hands toasty and warm, the steering wheel is heated, too. Behind the steering wheel are some paddles to adjust the regen braking levels.

A nice feature is a heated windscreen for rapid clearing of condensation on cold mornings, something that not enough cars come with.

Premium Plus

This trim level adds cornering lights, an electronic rear-view mirror, semi-aniline leather upholstery and 17-speaker Mark Levinson premium sound system.
Both front seats gain additional power adjustment functions and the doors have an automatic easy-closing feature.
A head-up display, twin wireless charging pads and a new bamboo layering door trim are also included. 

Takumi

The top-of-the range Takumi is designed for customers that prefer the back seat to drivers seat as it includes heated and ventilated reclining rear seats with ottoman-style leg rest and rear centre console with a control panel for seating and ventilation controls.
For additional privacy, the rear side and back windows include sunshades.

Technology

The ES comes with “LexusConnect navigation” as well as Android Auto® and Apple CarPlay®, but there is also a next-generation voice assistant that allows drivers to manage key functions in the car, such as updating destinations to adjusting cabin temperature. 

Lexus has discreetly hidden haptic controls behind the dashboard upholstery, which, when the car is powered on they reveal themselves, but I’m not clear why it’s needed.

The Powertrain

This all sounds very promising so far, but - and there is a but - the ES 350e is let down by a mediocre powertrain.

For a start there is one battery option, a 77kWh lithium-ion battery driving the front wheels. And for such a large car, the motor produces just 221bhp meaning the car wheezes to 60 mph in 8 seconds. It’s moderately nippy, but I feel an executive car like the ES deserves a proper wafty experience from more powerful motors as well as four-wheel drive.

Lexus quotes a range of 361 miles (WLTP) on a full charge, so I would expect the powertrain to be extremely efficient given its modest battery size. DC rapid charging is very 2019, maxing out at 150 kW and providing a 28 minute recharge from 20 - 80%.

It’s not all lacklustre news, though, as the ES is fitted with a 22kW onboard AC charger, providing a full recharge from zero to 100 per cent in about four hours, should customers be fortunate enough to have a 3-phase supply.

Prices

ES 350e Premium: £59,345 

ES 350e Premium Plus: £68,245 

ES 350e Takumi: £72,545 

If I was paying over £72,000 for a car, I might expect more range, faster charging and a more powerful powertrain, and I would perhaps be looking at other options mentioned at the top of the article.
However, if you wish to be transported around in a stylish executive car with cutting edge looks, but can overlook the powertrain shortcomings, the Lexus ES 350e may suit.

Order books open on 1st May with deliveries beginning in June.

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About the Author

Graeme Cobb is a lifelong car enthusiast with a passion for writing about cars, EVs, industry updates and more.

You can find Graeme on 𝕏 at @graeme_cobb or YouTube @REV-EV.