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One of the issues that dictates such styling is having a battery pack taking up floor space. This in turn raises the side profile of the car. Then what happens is you have a large slab side that if all is one color, it looks like a cargo van. So designers try to break it up with lines, designs, etc. Same issue with the new 5 series that also has an EV variant. So I see why Toyota did this, but it doesn't work well. I'll bet you they had 10-20 concepts on ways to break up the monotony of the side profile before choosing this one as the best way to break up the side. It reminds me of a hockey stick. This could work on a toyota but this hockey stick side isn't classy at all. an ES is supposed to be about grace, pulling up to dinner. this isn't that.
I think 6ES is peak ES in terms of presence with 7ES as a close second.
Just to add something to my thoughts regarding how China figures into this redesign, a Google search reveals that the Lexus ES is the biggest selling imported car in China, as has been since 2017. The RX is also very popular, so clearly Lexus is trying to cater ever more to that particular very successful market.
Overall Lexus sells the most total cars in North America, but the sales leader in 2024 is the RX at around 119,000 units; next the NX at around 74,000 units; and third is the ES at around 43,000. Not bad numbers for the ES, but they appear to sell a lot more of them in China, so their preferences would seem to gain more attention. And it appears to be a growing market, while sedan sales here are not likely to swell.
And the wheels that look like they came off a Tesla.
Whoever thought that matte black wheels looks good on a luxury oriented car needs to have their heads examined. They look unclean and are very unattractive.
In toyota's defense, this new car is part EV so aero wheels make a huge difference at reducing turbulence, drag. Efficiency is key once you start electrifying things, given today's tech. so you have to have very aerodynamic wheels. wheels disturb air flow quite a bit.
Whoever thought that matte black wheels looks good on a luxury oriented car needs to have their heads examined. They look unclean and are very unattractive.
they look gloss black to me in the above pic of the 8ES.
One of the issues that dictates such styling is having a battery pack taking up floor space. This in turn raises the side profile of the car. Then what happens is you have a large slab side that if all is one color, it looks like a cargo van. So designers try to break it up with lines, designs, etc. Same issue with the new 5 series that also has an EV variant. So I see why Toyota did this, but it doesn't work well. I'll bet you they had 10-20 concepts on ways to break up the monotony of the side profile before choosing this one as the best way to break up the side. It reminds me of a hockey stick. This could work on a toyota but this hockey stick side isn't classy at all. an ES is supposed to be about grace, pulling up to dinner. this isn't that.
I think 6ES is peak ES in terms of presence with 7ES as a close second.
I agree the "stock market down" stripe was a clumsy attempt to break up the car's enormous slab sides. As were the pointlessly enormous wheels, which will damage this luxury sedan's all-important ride quality. The problem is the slab sides themselves.
And it's unnecessary. Not every EV—as CT knows, not even every Tesla — is enormously tall. As with the gas-only U.S. Crown sedan, this clown-car height wasn't even necessary.
The bottom line on the ES's zigzag bottom line (and all its other equally misshapen lines): If you put ES gas powertrains in a Crown Signia, you have a better car and a better value in nearly every way. Executing a sedan this way —as in, "with a cigarette and a blindfold" — turns the cliche that "today's buyers all prefer SUVs" into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Lexus has voluntarily forfeited every advantage a sedan has over a crossover.
unfortunately no real innovation in the construction when it comes to the doors. still using the old fashion door construction. most premium manufacturers moved beyond this a while ago to the more modern modular system. nothing wrong with it per se, just old: costlier, heavier, more complicated to assemble, takes longer to assemble, etc. it would take a redesign and reshuffle of supply chains. toyota generally doesn't like change.
They should rename the black door stripe the "Plunging Sedan Sales" graph.
On a separate note, I posted earlier that the one redeeming thing about this car was hatchback versatility. I think I was wrong. I read through the entire multi-paragraph press release, which never mentions any such thing but does use the word "sedan" at least three times. I also suspect it'd be very difficult to reconcile the Executive Rear Seating package with a drop-down seatback. So it's official: This design has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
They should rename the black door stripe the "Plunging Sedan Sales" graph.
Hilarious. In the US the sales will drop significantly and as stated by others seem Lexus has made it for the International market. In the US the ES has always been targeted to an older market who are not going to embrace this.
That E-Latch works pretty well in our NX, once you get used to it. My wife and I really don’t mind it - but it’s definitely an adjustment in thinking. Plus you have to explain to new passengers.
Main issue is e-latch is electronic vs traditional door handle is mechanic which literally pulls a steel wire to unlock..
E-latch needs power 24/7 to function. When the battery is out, you won't be able to get in (there is a backup system I am sure you can use to get in with (you guessed it) a KEY!)
Either style of latch requires a physical key to get in if the battery fails. I do agree however that there is a potential failure point as the E-Latch is essentially a drive-by-wire type mechanism that requires an actuator to operate rather than a physical cable. This is really similar to the current cars with a smart key that open from the outside just by touching the handle, except now it also applies to exiting the vehicle.
The design intent was purportedly to use the BSM to watch for approaching cars or bicycles before allowing the occupants to open the doors.
