On April 19, 2021, Shanghai Lexus brought the world premiere of the all-new ES medium and large luxury executive sedan and the world premiere of the all-new electric concept car LF-Z at the 19th Shanghai International Auto Show. As the centerpiece of the brand's model lineup, the ES was the brand's first model in 1989, along with the first generation of the flagship luxury sedan LS. With its quietness, comfortable experience, and spacious cabin space, ES has won wide acclaim and favor from customers around the world, with cumulative sales of more than 2.65 million units since its launch, and selling well in more than 80 countries and regions around the world. The LF-Z, the electric concept car, which debuted online in March, made its world premiere at the Shanghai Motor Show, combining performance, unique design and forward-looking technology. The design and technology is expected to be gradually introduced to production vehicles by 2025. The LF-Z electric concept car is based on a new all-electric platform, and the driving experience is derived from the Lexus driving hallmark, which embodies the technology and forward-looking concept of Lexus, and represents Lexus's thinking about the future of people-oriented lifestyle.
Concept car LF-Z
At a time when the automotive industry is undergoing a transformation, the vision of "carbon neutrality" and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations have become a mission for all brands. Lexus will rise to the challenge and create new brand values that exceed customer expectations. Lexus has a clear vision of "carbon neutrality" and has accumulated a wealth of electrification technologies, and it is expected that by 2025, all Lexus models will be launched in electric versions, and the proportion of electric models in sales will also exceed that of traditional gasoline-powered models. By 2050, Lexus plans to run the goal of "carbon neutrality" through the entire product line, from raw materials, parts, vehicle manufacturing, to vehicle logistics, vehicle recycling, Lexus will continue to reduce the environmental impact of the raw material manufacturing process, and ultimately achieve the goal of "carbon neutrality". Lexus China is taking all-round actions to achieve the goal of "carbon neutrality" and requires all dealers to join the Lexus "carbon neutrality" plan. Lexus is gradually renovating its existing dealerships, and by introducing green environmental protection methods such as energy-saving lamps, green walls, and solar roofs, it is working with dealers to promote energy conservation and emission reduction in the entire industry chain, and strive to achieve "carbon neutrality" in all aspects of sales and recycling. In 2022, Lexus China will continue to follow the third-generation dealer facility standards, fully introduce environmental protection and energy-saving facilities, and work with Toyota to recycle and dispose of used batteries.
Tsuneji Sato, President and Chief Brand Officer of Lexus International, attended the online press conference of the Shanghai Auto Show and said, "The brand upgrade of Lexus has begun, and we are committed to steadily promoting a sustainable society and continuously improving the current environment. In the future, for the happiness and smiles of Chinese users and all Lexus partners, we will keep pace with the times. ”
The world premiere of the all-new ES at the Shanghai Motor Show further enhances the essence of the Lexus brand - quietness and driving comfort, and continues to create a comfortable experience. The new ES is seamlessly transitioning between acceleration, deceleration and steering control for a comfortable ride in any driving situation. LEXUS uses exclusive technology to enhance the support rigidity of the rear suspension components to ensure excellent steering stability when changing lanes at high speeds. At the same time, the all-new ES F SPORT version is equipped with an advanced adaptive adjustable suspension system, AVS, which uses new actuators to reduce damping forces and expand the variable control range, achieving a high level of ride comfort and agile steering response. The all-new ES also introduces a range of advanced safety technologies, including the upgraded LEXUS intelligent safety system LSS+, which is designed to make driving a safer travel experience. In addition, it has a newly designed front grille and headlights with a newly developed interior color scheme.
The new Lexus ES
"Our goal is to continue to enrich ES's value proposition while improving its quality," said Aoki, Principal Engineer at Lexus International. "In addition to further improving quietness and ride comfort, we pursued linear vehicle dynamics that 'move with you' to ensure that the car accurately responds to the driver's intentions. ES's unique elegant style has evolved into a refreshingly modern style. During the development process, we identified design elements that could be further improved and refined, and through all-round optimization, we were able to exceed our customers' expectations. I sincerely hope that customers will be able to drive the new ES and experience first-hand the ingenuity of the R&D team. ”
Quietness and ride comfort are even better, and driving performance has been further improved.
The all-new ES offers even greater quietness and comfort, further enhancing the comfortable driving experience. The model development team has crafted the LEXUS' signature linear handling experience, allowing the all-new ES to achieve smooth acceleration, deceleration and steering, making it comfortable to ride in a variety of driving conditions. Equipped with an advanced adaptive adjustable suspension system (AVS) with linear solenoid valves, it achieves a high level of driving comfort and improves steering response and stability. The rear suspension adopts stronger support rigidity, which is upgraded from a single-layer structure to a double-layer structure, and the torsional rigidity and lateral rigidity are strengthened, so that the driver can enjoy a smooth and comfortable driving texture and comfortable driving feeling.
Lexus booth
The braking performance of the new ES has also been greatly improved, and the gasoline version has improved the free stroke performance of the brake pedal by optimizing the internal structure of the master cylinder and booster. The hybrid version improves braking handling by optimizing the electronically controlled braking system. At the same time, the shape of the brake pedal has been redesigned to increase the contact area with the driver's feet, thereby improving operational stability when the brake pedal is pressed. In addition, the installation method of the inner bushing of the brake pedal connecting rod has been optimized to improve the lateral stiffness of the brake pedal.
The elegant design style has evolved again to add a modern touch
The luxurious texture and elegance favored by customers continue to move forward with the new ES. The front grille and headlight clusters have been newly designed, and the interior has introduced a new color scheme of tea and amber brown to create a quiet space full of modern atmosphere. The humanized details everywhere reflect the LEXUS people-oriented brand philosophy. The touchscreen is equipped with an in-vehicle multimedia system and convenient control buttons around the steering wheel for a more convenient operating experience.
Lexus booth
The new ES features a newly designed front grille that continues ES's recognizable exterior design elements and features a mesh design made up of numerous L-shaped components to accentuate the beauty of lateral flow. The LED high and low beam headlights adopt a new compact lamp group design, and the matrix LED high and low beam headlights introduce a high-speed mirror type high beam adaptive control system, which is more powerful. In addition, the slender new light cluster shape makes the front face more sharp and eye-catching. The 17-inch wheels feature thicker spoke ends to accentuate the machined surface, while the V-shaped overlap design exudes a vibrant, sporty look. The 18-inch wheels feature a multi-pivot spoke design that contrasts with the dazzling sheen of the machined surface and the black lacquer finish. The 19-inch gloss black wheels for the F SPORT model are complemented by a black front grille, creating a resolute and bold image.
Inside, the multimedia system is now equipped with a new touchscreen made of glass for clearer images and easier operation. Adhering to the brand's people-oriented philosophy, Lexus has carefully adjusted the distance and angle of the display to the driver, and the display has been moved more than 100 mm in the direction of the driver and tilted about 5 degrees, which is more ideal, and the corners of the screen are also within reach. The natural walnut material is matched with the newly developed natural walnut and Moya walnut colors, and the interior is etched by laser processing technology at one time, rendering a more refined and elegant modern atmosphere. The interior has also been refreshed by the new colour scheme, which is available in the newly developed Tea Amber Brown in addition to the newly launched Akiyama Maroon. For F SPORT users, a two-tone color scheme is available in flash red and black. The new two-tone interior colour scheme of Snow Night White and Black makes the new ES F SPORT models even more sporty in terms of sportiness.
The latest Lexus intelligent safety system, LSS+, integrates a range of active safety technologies
The Pre-Collision Safety System (PCS) has expanded its response range by upgrading the single-lens camera and millimeter-wave radar to provide more protection during driving. Thanks to the application of artificial intelligence technology, the advanced intelligent lane tracing system LTA has optimized and upgraded the lane recognition function, expanded the range of driving assistance, and made the new ES turn more smoothly. Adaptive cruise control (ACC) can effectively control the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle, ensuring that you always maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front when driving at a specific cruising speed on highway lanes and other road sections. The automatic high beam control system AHB can automatically detect the vehicle in front and the vehicle driving on the opposite side, and realize the automatic switching of high and low beams of the headlights, so as to avoid the dazzling effect of the high beam on other drivers.
In addition to the new RX and LS, the new ES is equipped with an ultra-high-speed rotating mirror high beam adaptive control system. The beam from the internal LED light source is projected onto a lens that rotates at high speed, and is reflected by the lens and quickly passes through the lens to illuminate the direction of travel. At the same time, the LED light turns on or off at a frequency synchronized with the rotation of the lens, precisely controlling the light distribution and making it appear as if the light is not moving due to the visual residual effect. Compared with the conventional high-beam adaptive control system, this system can block part of the light more invisibly, effectively expand the range of high-beam illumination, and actively avoid glare from following and meeting vehicles, making it easier for drivers to identify pedestrians and road signs.
Users only need to install a dedicated APP on their smartphone to easily lock/unlock the door using the Bluetooth digital key. As with the regular smart key function, the user can start the engine directly without taking out the smartphone (signal detection depends on the smartphone model, specific settings, and location). In addition, if the phone is accidentally stolen or lost, this feature can also be disabled remotely to keep the vehicle safe.
The development of the new ES strictly follows the R&D concept of "continuous improvement", aiming to create better products for users. As Li Hui, Executive Vice President of Lexus China, said: "If you ask what is the biggest advantage of the Lexus brand, I believe that behind this brand, there are always people who are full of love and passion for it, giving Lexus the spirit and soul." (Image source: Lexus)