2013 Lexus ES350 Unmasked
New ES In ‘Sexy’ Shock
By Imthishan Giado
If you want to keep something secret, keep it wrapped up, because everyone has a cellphone these days. This is the new Lexus, caught ahead in Beijing ahead of its April Motor Show reveal. More pics including interiors, after the jump.
This is the second Lexus after the new GS to feature the signature ‘spindle grille’ complemented by what can only be described as a chrome mustache. LED running lamps? Check, naturally.
I’m liking the new tail which definitely looks to the big-dog LS saloon for inspiration, rather than the slash-fest new Camry (on which this car is undoubtedly based).
Side profile really does seem very Hyundai Sonata-esque, doesn’t it? With a hint of the Kia Optima’s plunging glasshouse, it’s a strange days when Japanese car makers are potentially being inspired by Korean ones.
The badge says ES250, so it must be sporting the Camry’s 2.5-litre four cylinder under the hood, which with just 178bhp doesn’t sound like it’d be enough to be motivate the luxury-laded cruiser. Relax – I can almost certainly guarantee we’ll never get this motor in the GCC. Instead, expect the usual 3.5-litre V6, possibly updated to eke out a few more horses.
Big improvements on the interior. The old ‘horseshoe’ theme car was getting slightly long in the tooth so it’s good to see a totally new dashboard treatment. The horizontal layout is eerily reminiscent of BMW’s recent efforts, the clock – well, that’s right out of the Infiniti playbook, and I can live with the Lexus mouse controller, even if it’s not as foolproof to use as iDrive. Also welcome is the massive new high res screen we first saw in the upcoming GS, with more vibrant colours and faster navigation through a tabbed interface.
If there’s one thing they haven’t changed, it’s that gearlever which is clearly carried over. Some sort of Audi-style flightstick would have been welcome.
