Lexus ES 250 added to luxury sedan’s local range

The 2021 Lexus ES 250 has been announced as the latest local offering in the Japanese automaker’s popular ES four-door sedan range.

The seventh-generation ES, which received a significant refresh just last month, has previously only been available in Australia in 300h guise, utilising a hybrid-electric drivetrain combining a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and CVT transmission.

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The new ES 250 will be powered by a similar variant of the N/A 2.5-litre four-pot, but will do away with the hybrid assistance and also score an eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission instead of the CVT.

Power is rated at 152kW and 243Nm, and Lexus claims the eight-speed box will have both shorter first gear and taller final gear ratios, which is said to improve acceleration off the line and bolster refinement at higher speeds.

Ditching the hybrid assistance also means the ES 250 will tip the scales at 60 kilograms lighter than its hybridised sibling, and although official figures are yet to be revealed, this could mean the 250’s kerb weight will duck under the 1700kg mark.

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The 250 will come in two different iterations – Luxury and F Sport. Both variants will also be available with an Enhancement Pack.

The entry-level sedan will also come equipped with the same raft of new features first debuted last month when the updated model was unveiled.

This includes Lexus Connected Services, Lexus Safety System+, and BladeScan adaptive high-beam assist for the F Sport and Sports Luxury variants.

Local pricing and specifications have yet to be unveiled for the updated Lexus ES range, with a spokesperson from the Japanese automaker’s Aussie arm telling WhichCar details will be confirmed closer to the sedan’s local launch in August 2021.