Lexus has started taking pre-orders for the new ES executive saloon, with pricing around £1,000 less than the GS it replaces in Western Europe.  

Lexus ES 300h

Revealed earlier this year, the ES is in its seventh generation but has never been offered in Western European markets before. It will be sold in the UK as a hybrid-only range, similar to the platform-shared Toyota Camry which replaces the Avensis next year. The ES 300h will offer fuel economy of up to 60.1mpg.

Priced from £35,150, it also undercuts the GS by nearly £1,000 for the entry-level ES trim, which features kit including the latest-generation Lexus Safety System+, Lexus Navigation with eight-inch central display, parking sensors, power-adjustable, heated front seats, sunroof and 17-inch alloys. The ES F Sport is priced at £38,150 and adds in adaptive sports suspension as well as F Sport interior and exterior styling details, F Sport seats and 19-inch alloys.

The top-spec ES Takumi is priced at £45,650 and brings equipment including 12.3-inch display, 360-degree camera, triple-zone air conditioning, power bootlid with hands-free kick sensor, heated and power-reclining rear seats and ‘triple-eye’ LED multi-weather headlights with adaptive high-beam system and adaptive front-lighting system.

The GS will still be offered in markets outside Europe, but a spokesperson for Lexus said sales volumes were not high enough to warrant the development work needed to comply the latest Euro 6d Temp emissions regulations, which came into force on 1 September 2018. Last year, the company sold 428 GS saloons in the UK, compared to 4,269 NX SUVs.