LEXUS WILL RELEASE the ES 300h F Sport in dealerships nationwide from October, including the long overdue standard fitment of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on all grades.
The F Sport joins the existing Luxury and Sports Luxury grades, providing customers with a sportier alternative while retaining ES 300h hallmarks of ride comfort and quietness.
Building on the edgy lines and coupe-like silhouette of the seventh-generation ES Line, the F Sport adds a signature mesh grille featuring jet black plating across the sharper bumper profile and rear garnish.
Elegant proportions are augmented by 19-inch F Sport alloy wheels (compared with the Luxury’s 17-inch alloy wheels) and F Sport fender badging.
Triple-beam LED headlamps with sequential turn indicators and adaptive high beam (compared with the Luxury’s bi-LED headlamps with automatic high beam) complete the upgrades.
The exceptionally rigid GA-K platform now incorporates F Sport-exclusive Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS), available in the ES 300h for the first time in Australia.
With five Drive Modes including Eco, Normal, Sport S, Sport S+ and Custom, AVS ensures that the cabin retains soothing response to bumps when Normal is selected, while tightening body movement in Sport S+ for more responsive handling.
Inside, a unique F Sport 8.0-inch TFT driver display, contoured and F Sport-embossed front seats, perforated-leather F Sport steering wheel and Lexus-first Hadori aluminium ornamentation create a special, suave ambience.
Timed with the release of the ES 300h F Sport in October, every ES 300h will also incorporate Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility as standard fitment to enhance the functionality contained on its expansive 12.3-inch centre display.
Wireless smartphone charging, satellite navigation, voice control, DAB+, Lexus Enform and 10-speaker audio will also continue as standard.
Customers have a unique choice of F Sport Flare Red and F Sport Black interior trim options, each with standard black roof lining and available to individually match with 10 exterior colour options – including a luminous F Sport-exclusive Cobalt Mica.
Lexus chief executive Scott Thompson said the F Sport added character and engagement to the ES 300h while enhancing the qualities that customers love.
“Stunning design has contributed to the success of the ES 300h and the F Sport allows customers to embrace even greater visual appeal,” Mr Thompson said.
“Additionally the unique suspension tune subtly increases the skew towards sharper dynamics while retaining focus on the model’s renowned refinement.”
Key equipment across the ES 300h line-up includes a Smart Key Card, head-up display, dual-zone climate control air-conditioning, a moonroof, automatic dusk-sensing headlamps, automatic rain-sensing wipers, 10-way power adjustable front seats and heated front seats.
Standard Lexus Safety System+ (LSS+) – a suite of advanced technologies that can prevent accidents or reduce their impact – includes a pre-collision safety system that can detect pedestrians as well as vehicles, autonomous emergency braking, all-speed active cruise control and lane tracing assist.
The ES 300h F Sport adds a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert and a panoramic view monitor, as well as ventilated front seats, electric rear sunshade and driver memory settings.
Every ES 300h exclusively utilises the advanced Lexus self-charging hybrid electric system combining an ultra-efficient 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle four-cylinder petrol engine working with an electric motor to produce 160kW of power.
Since the model launched in Australia in September 2018, the ES Line has increased sales by 209.3 per cent this year (to July 2019) compared with the same period last year.
Pricing for the updated ES 300h Luxury, F Sport and Sports Luxury will be announced closer to release in October. Customers can register their interest at lexus.com.au