It has to be said straight away that the car is a brand-new package from top to bottom and that the drive was really exhilarating.
Expectations have been raised in the last 18 months about styling of new Lexus models and closer up in real life it did not disappoint with a strong presence - modern and striking with an understated elegance that makes you look twice. The Lexus spindle grille is still new enough to catch the eye too.
The ES 250 is powered by a new 2,5-litre Dual VVT-i twin-cam four-cylinder engine that produces 135kW at 6 000rpm and 235Nm of torque at 4 100rpm.
Although there is not an official Lexus dealer in the Southern Cape yet, the vehicles can be ordered locally and Halfway Toyota in George is a fully accredited service dealer.
QUEST FOR QUALITY
Lexus management also shared an impressive example of the never-ending quest for quality in the way human senses are used during the body construction phase. Production line workers who inspect the alignment of parts constantly retrain their senses. Every two hours they refresh their sense of touch by running their fingers along a sample section of perfectly aligned parts, to reinforce and remind themselves of the correct 'feeling' of a perfect fit.
The same attention to detail is given to the hand-stitched finish on the dashboard. Only 12 select craftsmen work on this area and they have been specially recruited, trained and tested. One such test involves folding an origami cat from a flat piece of paper with one hand in under 90 seconds. The entire ES production process is overseen by 19 'Takumi' or master craftsmen who train, recruit and evaluate the results of the 7 700 ES production staff.
Other standard items across the range include advanced Bluetooth connectivity, voice recognition capabilities as well as iPod and USB usability. The high tech, self-illuminating LED analogue clock deserves a special mention as another touch of luxury.
A BEAUTIFUL PLACE
The interior of the premium Lexus ES sedan is available with two colour options - black and ivory. The embossed, leather-accented ivory interior was truly a beautiful place to be comfortable in.
Ergonomics was clearly high on the design list and there is focus on the driver, with separate display and operation zones. Visibility is good, controls are logically placed, and new cabin materials are of fine quality.
Up front, occupants have 953mm of headroom, 1 463mm of shoulder room, 1 392mm of hip room and 1 065mm of leg room.
Rear seat occupants won't be cramped either with 953mm of headroom, 1 396mm of shoulder room, 1 365mm of hip room and 1 015mm of leg room. The luggage space is also roomy with a generous 490-litres.
The brief to the engineering team was to create a peerless spacious, comfortable and quiet sedan, while keeping it enjoyable to drive the car.
DRIVING EXPERIENCE
The new Lexus ES aims at a balance of performance, economy, smoothness and low noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). In SPORT mode, the acceleration feel and EPS are sharpened a bit and geared towards greater response to driver inputs. This is matched by red meter illumination and a SPORT icon on the display.
NORMAL mode sets out to balance performance and efficiency, and is the default setting on start-up. It can also be activated by pushing the DMS knob down while in SPORT mode.
The Lexus ES has Artificial Intelligence (AI) shift control and Lexus Drive Mode Select. The steering wheel features a three-spoke 380mm design and houses audio, phone, display and mode control buttons for easy access and greater safety.
sixth-generation ES features a brand-new body design built on a new platform with zero carry-over from the outgoing model. drag co-efficient (Cd) of just 0,27.
The car proved capable on twisty passes with good emergency braking when tested.
SAFETY
Standard active safety features include Vehicle Stability Control with electric power-steering cooperative control (VSC+), traction control, ABS brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist and emergency brake signal. Also included in the standard package is the tyre-inflation pressure warning system and Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) with Lane Change Assist. On the passive safety front, all models have 10 SRS airbags as standard equipment including driver and front passenger knee and front air bags, as well as front and rear seat-mounted side and curtain airbags. Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL) front seats are designed to limit excessive head movement in certain rear-end collisions helping to decrease the severity of whiplash-type injuries
DETAILS
All models in the ES range are covered by a four year or 100 000km warranty. On the maintenance front, the ES 250 comes standard with the Lexus 'Distance Plan Plus' at a price of R435 900. The 0 to 100km sprint takes 9,8 seconds and the published top speed is 207km with the published fuel consumption on the combined cycle 8,0l per 100km.
Expectations have been raised in the last 18 months about styling of new Lexus models and our readers will agree that it looks like the business.
Ergonomics were carefully planned with focus on the driver, separate display and operation zones and the controls are logically placed.
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