Looks like Malaysia is the second right-hand drive (RHD) market to welcome the all-new eighth-generation Lexus ES after Australia. Lexus Malaysia has teased the model’s arrival on its social media pages, revealing the ES’s full-width taillights and a dedicated product page on its official website, linked here.
Registrations of interest (ROI) are now open with an estimated price of RM366,888. Funnily enough, the official site teases its arrival in “Maylaysia”, leaving us to wonder if the luxury brand has accidentally discovered an entirely new Southeast Asian nation that the rest of the world has yet to chart.
Nonetheless, based on said website, we could be on the receiving end of the hybrid variant, which in Australia features a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine making 143 hp/227 Nm. This is paired with a traction motor that produces 204 hp/270 Nm, delivering a combined 196 hp to the front wheels via an e-CVT gearbox.
These are packaged in an exterior penned by the new Clean Tech x Elegance philosophy, which mixes minimalistic lines with styling touches to avoid a featureless appearance. Up front, the all-new Lexus ES sports the marque’s latest twin L-signature lighting design, whereas the spindle grille available on the previous generation is now removed.
It is replaced by a narrow slit on the hybrids and a fully enclosed setup for the EVs, though you might just be able to make out the side profile of the classic shape.
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Its dimensions are also larger because the all-new Lexus ES is built on a redesigned global architecture-K platform (GA-K). The ES is now 165 mm longer with an 80 mm longer wheelbase than its predecessor, which should mean a more spacious cabin that Lexus claims offers an SUV-like cabin space.
The Clean Tech x Elegance philosophy also made its way to the interior, featuring a new steering wheel that sports an embossed “LEXUS” wordmark in the middle and the new Hidden Tech switches, a company first, which reflect the Omotenashi principle of minimalism. This essentially means when the car is off, the switches are not present, and when the car is on, the switches will illuminate and present themselves.
Despite the emphasis on a more minimalist styling, the Tazuna principle is maintained. This design prioritises placing all controls and information strategically to ensure they are within an arm’s reach for the driver to operate conveniently while keeping their eyes on the road.
There is new technology featured here, including a 12.3-inch multi-information display with a full-screen map view and wireless smartphone integration ahead of the driver, accompanied by a centre full-HD 14.0-inch touchscreen. On the centre console, you’ll find a new gear shift toggle, which Lexus calls the shift-by-wire Electro-Shiftmatic. This provides more intuitive use with a single-motion operation for forward and reverse, and it comes with a ‘Park’ button for a more compact design.
Given that estimated pricing for the all-new Lexus ES has already surfaced, an official market debut looks to be imminent. We will be keeping a close eye on further updates, assuming they manage to find the right country next time.
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