The eighth-generation ES will come only has a hybrid or as a fully electric car as this one.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
In 1990, the ES and the LS were the first two sedans launched in Canada by Toyota’s newly formed luxury brand, Lexus. Now, as the LS is being discontinued in Canada and the United States, a new eighth-generation ES has been released, marking a radical shift in design and technology. It’s also the first Lexus available only as fully electric or a hybrid.
Lexus has sold 68,085 ES models in Canada, making it the brand’s best-selling sedan, accounting for 15 per cent of its all-time sales, but when the ES launched in 1990 most of the attention was centred on the flagship LS 400.
The LS was aimed to rival long-established German and American luxury sedans, but the Mercedes S-Class was its main target. It was designed to surpass the Mercedes in every metric with a level of quality control and attention to detail that hadn’t been seen in the industry. The LS outsold the S-Class in the U.S. in 1991, dealing a major blow to Mercedes, and became the brand’s best-selling vehicle.
Thirty-six years later and sedans have lost significant ground to SUVs. While the LS is being discontinued here, Lexus isn’t giving up on sedans, as the new ES is still seen as one of its core models.
The ES gets a new infotainment system that runs on a 14-inch centre touchscreen with Apple Car Play and Android Auto.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
The sloping roofline creates a coupe-like aesthetic similar to the BMW i4 and Audi A5.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
No longer based on the Toyota Camry, the 2026 ES is larger, more luxurious and spearheads a new styling direction for Lexus with a reimagined spindle grille, new lighting signatures and a roofline that arcs rearward into a neatly tapered rear end. It’s a similar coupe-like aesthetic we’ve been seeing on sedans such as the Honda Accord, BMW i4 and Audi A5.
There’s not much intrusion on the rear headroom and the increased wheelbase means lots of legroom for rear passengers. An optional “VIP package” comes with heated, ventilated and massaging rear seats. The seat behind the front passenger can also recline and has a built-in ottoman, allowing you to lounge like you’re on a business class flight.
The rear seat behind the passenger seat reclines and has a leg rest for extra comfort.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
This is the first Lexus to offer both electric and gas hybrid versions and the EV is only about $2,500 more expensive, meaning the choice will come down to personal preference and driving behaviour.
The ES 350h, which is the hybrid version, will start at $63,300 after fees. It uses Toyota’s new sixth-generation hybrid system that equips a 2.5-litre inline-four-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors up front and one driving the rear axle. There’s a total of 244 horsepower but the more important figure is the combined fuel consumption of 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres.
Assistant chief engineer Noritaka Nakajima says the biggest change with the hybrid system is the new transaxle unit. “The fourth generation had the inverter and power control unit separated, but this new system puts them all together in one unit,” says Nakajima. “The advantage is that it’s much more compact and much more efficient.”
Combining these components and the transaxle into a small package that can be bolted to the side of the engine borrows heavily from EV tech and this newest system is smarter and engages full electric mode more often.
It’s also quieter and more refined, a perfect match for the ES, which debuts this new hybrid system. The rather rough, raucous sound of the previous systems, especially when giving it a boot full of throttle is no longer present, replaced by a pleasant and distant zing.
If you’d rather not burn any fuel, the $65,925 ES 350e ditches the fuel tank for a 74.7-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery and a single electric motor on the front axle producing a modest 221 horsepower. The ES 500e ($68,925) adds a rear axle motor for all-wheel drive and up to 338 horsepower. The 500e is by far the hot rod of the bunch with significantly quicker acceleration. Lexus is positioning it as the most driver-focused version of the group, so much so that the rear lounge seating is only available on the less powerful 350e.
The 350e gets up to 481 kilometres of range and the 500e is rated at 444 kilometres on the standard 19-inch wheels (up to 21-inch are available). Fast charging is done using a standard NACS port and will take 28 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 per cent.
The EV is more aerodynamic achieving a drag coefficient of 0.25 versus 0.28 for the hybrid, despite looking nearly identical.
Nakajima says the small slit on the front of the hybrid is a functional opening or grille for the engine which is one of the main drag elements that the EV doesn’t share. “The other one is the BEV battery which gives a flatter underbody, so it was easier for us to create a smoother airflow with less turbulence,” he says.
The small slit on the front of the hybrid is a functional opening or grille to help cool the engine.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Both versions were really nice to drive through the mountainous roads near La Jolla, Calif. with light and precise steering, and a nicely composed ride that delivered a good balance between handling and comfort. Even on the larger 21-inch wheels, I noticed little degradation in ride quality. If anything, the ES was a pleasant reminder of how much better sedans are than SUVs when it comes to balancing on-road dynamics and ride comfort.
The ES gets a new infotainment system that runs on a 14-inch centre touchscreen with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, and there’s a new 12-inch driver display set in a small binnacle lined with micro-suede. There’s a volume knob and a row of touch-sensitive buttons below the screen for basic climate controls that offer haptic feedback when pressed. Outside of that, everything else needs to be done through the infotainment, which, for the most part, is intuitive.
The limo-like LS will be missed, but German luxury sedans have once again asserted market dominance and held on to what remains of the market, cancelling out nearly all other competitors including Lexus. But the ES keeps the luxury sedan flame burning within the company and serves as a reminder of where it came from.
The new ES 350h and 350e are on sale now with the 500e expected next month.
A screen between the rear seats lets passengers control the climate and seats.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Tech specs
2026 Lexus ES 350h
- Price: $66,560 plus $3,400 for freight, pre-delivery inspection and fees plus tax
- Powertrain: 2.5-litre inline-4 plus three electric motors
- Horsepower: 244
- Transmission/drive: e-CVT/AWD
- Fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometres): city 5; highway 5.6; combined 5.3
- Alternatives: BMW i4, Tesla Model 3, Honda Accord Hybrid
2026 Lexus ES 350e Executive VIP (19-inch wheels)
- Price: $77,970 + $3,400 for freight, PDI and fees plus tax
- Powertrain: single electric motor
- Horsepower: 221
- Transmission/drive: single-speed/FWD
- Energy consumption (kWh per 100 kilometres): 16.1 city; 18.4 highway; 17.2 combined
- Alternatives: BMW i4, Tesla Model 3, Honda Accord Hybrid
2026 Lexus ES 500e AWD Luxury+ (19-inch wheels)
- Price: $77,135 plus $3,400 for freight, pdi and fees plus tax
- Powertrain: Dual electric motors
- Horsepower: 338
- Transmission/drive: Single-speed/AWD
- Energy consumption (kWh per 100 kilometres): 17.5 city; 19.4 highway; 18.4 combined
- Alternatives: BMW i4, Tesla Model 3, Honda Accord Hybrid
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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