The Lexus ES 300h Hybrid Gets A Midlife Refresh For Just An Additional Rs 10,000

• Styling updates include a tweaked front grille, sharper headlights, new alloy wheels, and two additional body shades.

• Cabin gets a new upholstery theme, and the 12.3-inch infotainment system is now a touchscreen unit.

• It retains the 218PS 2.5-litre petrol-hybrid powertrain, paired with a CVT gearbox.

• Rivals include the Volvo S90, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, and Jaguar XF.

In a day action packed with launches and unveils, Lexus has also joined the party, by giving the ES 300h hybrid sedan a midlife facelift at prices starting from Rs 56.65 lakh (ex-showroom). The facelift brings subtle updates inside and out, and it continues to be locally assembled like the pre-facelift model before it. 

Here are the updated prices:

 All prices ex-showroom, India

It retains the Exquisite and Luxury trims, with the updated sedan only costing Rs 10,000 extra over the model before it. 

So what’s changed in the ES 300h? It starts off with modest design updates thanks to a slightly tweaked front grille, slimmer and sharper headlamps, as well as a new set of 18-inch alloy wheels. There’s also two new body shades in the form of Sonic Iridium and Sonic Chrome. The sedan retains the other four body shades which include Sonic Quartz, Sonic Titanium, Graphite Black, and Deep Blue.

Inside, the cream coloured upholstery is replaced by a black theme with a walnut brown trim. The biggest change is the presence of a proper 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (finally), now shifted closer to the driver by more than 100mm for ease of access. 

It continues to retain creature comforts such as a 7-inch MID, 17-speaker Mark Levinson Pure Play audio system, tri-zone climate control, 14-way adjustable driver’s seat, 12-way adjustable passenger seat, head-up display, and wireless charging. 

The updated ES remains mechanically unchanged, running a 2.5-litre petrol engine combined with a Lexus Hybrid Drive System to deliver a total 218PS of power. Paired to a CVT gearbox, the sedan can do the 0-100kmph sprint in 8.9 seconds, with a top speed of 180kmph. The carmaker has tweaked the brakes and suspension setup for a better ride and handling experience.

Overall, the facelifted Lexus ES 300h hybrid sedan seems like a steal of a deal considering the updates it has had for such a small premium. This should make it a better competitor against rivals like the Volvo S90, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, and Jaguar XF.