Lexus has applied several content upgrades
to the ES sedan in its home market of Japan for the 2021 model year. While its
styling remains untouched, the JDM Lexus ES gains new safety and convenience
equipment, as well as a new battery for the hybrid powertrain. Starting with
the latter, the ES 300h, which is the only powertrain available in Japan, has
ditched the nickel-hydrogen battery for a lithium-ion unit which is said to
improve fuel efficiency.
On the WLTC combined cycle, the Lexus
ES300h returns 22.3 km/L (52.4 mpg US or 4.8 l/100 km). With the previous
battery, the average fuel economy was 20.6 km/L (48.4 mpg US or 4.8 l/100 km).
The power and torque specs remain the same, with the 2.5-liter hybrid
powertrain delivering 178 PS and 202 Nm.
On the safety front, the Lexus ES F Sport
gains the option of side rearview cameras, which have been available on the
base model since 2018. With this 2021MY update, the digital mirrors now display
reference lines on the two monitors to help drivers better estimate the
distance from other vehicles, walls and obstacles. The distance between the
lines is 5 meters.
In addition to the upgraded rearview
camera system, all Lexus ES model gain Parking Support Brake and Blind Spot
Monitor as standard. Lexus also updated the 12.3-inch multimedia system to
support SmartDeviceLink, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Furthermore, the
charging tray for the wireless smartphone charging and the smartphone storage
space on the center console have been expanded to accommodate larger devices.
Prices for the 2021 Lexus ES start from
5,990,000 yen, the equivalent of US$ 56,800.
