Lexus ES is updated, its size exceeds that of Mercedes-Benz E-class, and China becomes the first home!

In April, Lexus will launch a new generation of ES into the Chinese market. This matter has been very popular recently. Think about it, what does the ES car mean to Lexus? Responsible for global sales and the anchor of the Chinese market. Over the past two decades, Lexus has achieved milestones in China, such as annual sales exceeding 100,000 for the first time, growth exceeding 20% ​​for four consecutive years, cumulative sales exceeding one million, and even forcing its way into the "BBAL" landscape of the luxury car market. ES is definitely the number one contributor. The data does not lie. As of January this year, Lexus had sold more than 2.2 million vehicles in China, half of which, a full 1.1 million vehicles, were contributed by ES. So, from the seventh generation to the current eighth generation, Lexus has set the stage for global premieres here. This is no longer a simple launch of a new car. This signal clearly raises the strategic priority of the Chinese market to the highest level.

Speaking of which, I have to mention the key figure, Chief Engineer Senzu Kohei. Having stayed in China for two years, I didn’t just take a quick look at it, but really felt the cultural pulse and the car market here. It is said that he lamented at that time that the center of world change was in China. With this knowledge in mind, he went back to lead the development of the new generation ES. His idea was very straightforward: he had to reinvent himself and create a new model that could lead the fashion of sedans. You see, the starting point of this development concept has changed, becoming "taking the needs of Chinese consumers as the starting point to create a main model for the world." Does this sound familiar? Many international brands say this now, but Lexus seems to be serious about it this time on the ES.

In April, Lexus will launch a new generation of ES into the Chinese market. This matter has been very popular recently. Think about it, what does the ES car mean to Lexus? Responsible for global sales and the anchor of the Chinese market. Over the past two decades, Lexus has achieved milestones in China, such as annual sales exceeding 100,000 for the first time, growth exceeding 20% ​​for four consecutive years, cumulative sales exceeding one million, and even forcing its way into the "BBAL" landscape of the luxury car market. ES is definitely the number one contributor. The data does not lie. As of January this year, Lexus had sold more than 2.2 million vehicles in China, half of which, a full 1.1 million vehicles, were contributed by ES. So, from the seventh generation to the current eighth generation, Lexus has set the stage for global premieres here. This is no longer a simple launch of a new car. This signal clearly raises the strategic priority of the Chinese market to the highest level.

Speaking of which, I have to mention the key figure, Chief Engineer Senzu Kohei. Having stayed in China for two years, I didn’t just take a quick look at it, but really felt the cultural pulse and the car market here. It is said that he lamented at that time that the center of world change was in China. With this knowledge in mind, he went back to lead the development of the new generation ES. His idea was very straightforward: he had to reinvent himself and create a new model that could lead the fashion of sedans. You see, the starting point of this development concept has changed, becoming "taking the needs of Chinese consumers as the starting point to create a main model for the world." Does this sound familiar? Many international brands say this now, but Lexus seems to be serious about it this time on the ES.

Reborn? Let's see how we can escape. The most intuitive thing is the shape. The classic spindle grille has evolved into the entire spindle body outline. Some people say it looks good, while others say it needs to be adapted to. This is normal. The matter of aesthetics has always been difficult to agree upon. But the designers’ ambitions are obviously not just for the present. They are aiming at the design trend in the next five years. Moreover, no matter how the lines change, they say they must retain the elegance inherent in ES. Elegance is the art of luxury. This is a bit mysterious, but when it comes to cars, it is real. For example, the ambient light only lights up one-fifth of the time when the car is running, and only fully lights when it is stopped. Why? You should be careful enough to reduce light interference to driving. There are also those buttons in the car that are usually well hidden. As soon as your hand comes closer, the icons will dimly light up. This sense of ritual that "comes out of nothing" is said to be the first of its kind in the world. These small details add up to a unique brand charm.

The change in size can be called a "leap". The length of the car has been increased by 165 mm, and the wheelbase has been lengthened by 80 mm, directly exceeding 5.1 meters. In terms of size, it is firmly stuck between the new BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, making it the largest ES in history. The car has also become taller, in order to make room for the battery (pure electric version) and for space inside the car. As it gets bigger and taller, what about wind resistance? They used a fastback shape for balance. As a result, the drag coefficient is lower than that of the previous generation. In terms of space creation, they proposed a concept called "pleasant time for all seats", with the goal of creating a transparent and quiet space like a living room. The panoramic canopy, the gap between the front and rear rows of more than one meter, and even the seats that are specially thinned by 30 mm but become more ergonomic through split design... These changes are not as simple as stacking materials, behind them is the re-deconstruction of the driving experience.

The evolution at the mechanical level is also labeled as "leapfrog". The new GA-K platform allows the pure electric ES 500e and hybrid versions to be launched simultaneously. The DIRECT4 electric four-wheel drive can intelligently distribute torque between the front and rear wheels, which can be regarded as a technical moat. What interests me more is the rear-wheel steering and that adaptive suspension with linear solenoid valves. Last year at the Xiamen Circuit, I touched the non-mass-produced right-hand drive version. Boy, the control quality is really amazing. The rear-wheel steering makes this big guy extremely flexible, and the suspension response is accurate and tough. The "whole" feeling brought by the low center of gravity and high rigidity of the body is difficult to fully express with parameters. You have to drive this car and spend a long time with it to get a taste of it. There is some scary data. The repurchase rate of ES owners is as high as 42%, which is 14 percentage points higher than the average level of the luxury car market. This is definitely the only recognition among medium and large luxury cars.

Looking at the current market structure, there were only four mid- to large-sized luxury sedans with sales exceeding 100,000 last year: Audi A6L, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series, and Lexus ES. Over there at 56E, business and sports are clearly labeled. What about ES? Just relying on that unique "home flavor" turned the three-legged alliance into a four-point world. The Volvo S90, ranked fifth, has sold less than 20,000 units. This gap nakedly demonstrates the cruelty of this market segment - product strength is the foundation, but the "brand" ticket carries more weight. Users who buy cars of this level are terrifyingly rational. Functions, configurations, brand tone, services, post-production costs... they all have to be weighed. The ES can stand up because it has achieved a certain ultimate balance in these dimensions, and it also has its own unique skills: such as the hybrid technology, such as the industry's only free warranty and maintenance policy.

So, who is the real opponent of the new ES? Is it 56E? Perhaps more accurately, my past self. What it wants to surpass is the already extremely successful seventh-generation ES. The so-called "leap level" does not mean jumping to the level designated by others, but the height of self-iteration. When the brand structure becomes stable and user perceptions are clear, subsequent players will have to squeeze every bit of progress from themselves. The new ES is a combination of design, size, space, details, and technology. It is clear that it is to redefine "better ES". However, in this era where the wave of electrification and intelligence is booming, can this "elegant evolution" based on in-depth experience and balance still be able to firmly capture the group of super rational buyers of medium and large luxury cars as it did in the past? Regarding this matter, we really have to wait until it goes on the market in April and let the market give it a good word. You said, when the parameter list becomes more and more like an arms race, how much is the "charm" of a car that takes time to be felt?