2020 Lexus ES in Japan – lithium-ion battery for hybrid, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, improved safety

Alongside the updated C-HR and the Camry Black Edition, Toyota has also given its luxury offshoot’s executive sedan, the Lexus ES, a few choice upgrades in Japan. The revisions are relatively minor, but they help smarten up the car as it enters the second year on the market.

Lexus stole a march on Audi by being the first to the market with mirror-replacing side-view cameras, and this year it has improved the system from a usability standpoint. The in-car displays now feature three lines to mark the distance from the rear of the car, between five and 30 metres. The cameras are also finally available as an option for the F Sport variant as well.

Elsewhere, the sole powertrain option, the ES 300h’s hybrid system, receives a lithium-ion battery to replace the old nickel-metal hydride unit – mirroring a similar change for the US-market Camry. Fuel economy has been improved slightly, from 20.6 km per litre to 22.3 km per litre combined on the WLTP cycle.

Otherwise, the powertrain is identical to the outgoing model, consisting of a 178 PS 2.5 litre Atkinson-cycle Dynamic Force four-cylinder petrol engine and a 120 PS/202 Nm pair of electric motors that deliver a total system output of 204 PS.

The rest of the changes concern infotainment and safety. The Remote Touch infotainment system now supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and SmartDeviceLink, while the Qi wireless charger is now larger to fit ever-expanding smartphones.

Just like the C-HR, the ES gains nighttime pedestrian detection and daytime cyclist detection for autonomous emergency braking; front and rear parking AEB and blind spot monitoring are also now standard-fit.

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