- Long list of standard safety kit
- Advanced driver assistance tech available
- Yet to be tested by Euro NCAP
Safety levels are as impressive as you’d expect for a brand new car in this market sector. As well as driver and front passenger airbags, you get head, side and knee/full-length curtain shield/rear side bags and a pop-up bonnet for pedestrian protection. You also get the following active safety systems:
- Two-stage adaptive high-beam system for headlamps (AHS)
- Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS)
- Automatic High Beam (AHB)
- Blind Spot Monitor (BSM)
- Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), all-speed
- Intelligent parking assist sensors, front and rear
- Lane Tracing Assist (LTA)
- Pre-Collision System (PCS)
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Braking (RCTAB)
- Road Sign Assist (RSA)
- Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)
- Lots of interior space for the money
- Space for five adults
- Decent – for a hybrid – boot space
The Lexus ES’s interior is large and perfectly set-up for carry four adults in decent comfort – the job which it was designed for, It’s possible for tall adults to sit in the rear and not feel at all cramped, with ample leg and headroom, but the middle back seat is a little snug and probably best used for the armrest hidden in its back, which features a cubby and two cupholders.
The Lexus ES is a big car, so you’ll need a big parking space. At almost five metres in length, it’s built for motorways, not city centres. So, it’s good to know it’s roomy for people, and not too bad for their luggage. A capacity of 454 litres is less than an Audi A6, for example, but that’s down to the battery pack under the boot floor taking up space. And with that in mind, it’s not a bad result.
A powered bootlid is an optional extra, and can be remote-operated via the car’s key.