LA JOLLA, Calif. – Lexus turns a new page with the 2026 ES luxury sedan, which grows larger, more powerful and expensive than the midsize sedan that preceded it.
I just spent a day driving the new ES, which abandons gasoline-only power — including the V6 that set it apart from other midsize sedans — for hybrid and all-electric power.
I’m sold on its dramatic new looks and appreciate its stylish and comfortable interior and modern drivetrains.
In a departure from other brands’ practice, Lexus priced the fully electric ES below the hybrid. EV prices start at $47,500, while base hybrid stickers at $49,700. All prices exclude $1,395 destination charge.
I drove a loaded all-wheel drive ES 500e Luxury EV. It stickered at $61,320.
Lexus expects the hybrid to account for 80% of ES sales.
Bigger, heavier yet more fuel efficient
The ES’ dramatic new exterior design features a long nose and fastback rear, rakish LED lights and 19- or 21-inch wheels. The nose borrows from Lexus’s spindle-shaped grille and black accent lines sweeping down from the front fenders reduce the visual impact of the car’s 4.3-inch higher roof.
The 2026 ES is 6.5 inches longer and 2.2 inches wider than its predecessor. Its wheelbase grew 3.1 inches.
The extra size comes at a weight penalty, but the ES hybrid’s EPA estimated fuel combined city/highway economy improved. Lexus execs hope the ES’s new look and size will help it step up to fill any prestige gap, but like most brands, Lexus’s focus is squarely on SUVs, which accounted for nearly 90% of its U.S. sales in the first quarter of this year.
Electric model’s names end with an “e” and hybrids get an “h”: ES 350e and 350h.
The EV is on sale now. Hybrid sales will begin this summer.
2026 Lexus ES EV trim levels and prices
ES 350e Premium: $47,500
ES 500e Premium AWD: $50,500
ES 350e Luxury: $55,900
ES 500e Luxury AWD: $58,900
Note: All prices exclude $1,395 destination charge
Source: Lexus
2026 Lexus ES hybrid trim levels and prices
ES 350h Premium: $49,700
ES 350h Premium AWD: $51,100
ES 350h Premium+: $54,500
ES 350h Premium+: AWD $55,900
Note: All prices exclude $1,395 destination charge
Source: Lexus
Power and fuel economy
Lexus calls the ES’s architecture a “multipathway platform,” because it accommodates both hybrid and all-electric drivetrains.
Front-drive ES hybrids generate 186 horsepower in front-wheel drive models. AWD hybrids add an electric rear axle for 244 total horsepower.
An AWD ES hybrid reaches 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. Leisurely, but a second quicker than the 2025 hybrid.
The EPA rates the FWD hybrid at 48 mpg city, 44 highway and 46 combined. AWD rates 47/42/44. That tops the previous model. More important, it sets an impressive standard for a substantial, well-equipped luxury sedan.
Lexus recommends premium gasoline to get full power.
Front-drive EVs have a single motor producing 221 hp. AWD EVs add a second motor on the rear axle for a total of 338 hp. Troubled by the missing pony? Don’t be. Automakers round, usually up.
The EV accelerates to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. That’s good for a big sedan that doesn’t hang any of its appeal on performance and more than enough for highway cruising and sprints across intersections and up entrance ramps.
Fast charging, plus a free CCS adapter
The ES is comfortable, quiet and capable around town and on the highway.
Its 74.7 kWh lithium-ion battery can charge from 10%-80% in 28 minutes under ideal conditions. It has a NACS charging port. Level 2 240v charging to 100% takes seven hours.
Lexus provides an adapter so ES owners can use DC fast chargers with CCS connectors. That’s a significant convenience, nearly doubling the number of DC fast chargers owners can use on long drives.
Few automakers throw in an adapter, because they can charge $200 or more for the devices, which are meticulously engineered for safety and durability. Kudos to Lexus.
2026 Lexus ES key features
New interior, improved infotainment and controls
The interior is entirely new, with a 14-inch touch screen and improved version of Lexus’s virtual assistant and cloud-based Google navigation system. For quicker responses to some questions, Lexus has increased the system’s on-board processing capability, reducing the number of tasks that go to the web.
The home screen is configurable for quick access to the features you use most.
You can choose a male or female voice, a feature common to phones but unknown till now in cars.
Lexus says it improved route-planning for easy and efficient charging on long drives. I’ll let you know when I’ve used it for a few hundred miles.
What could be better?
The 2026 ES’ bigger size and new features come at a cost. The base price jumped $5,000 from 2025, and you’d have a hard time optioning a the old model up to the level of loaded ES, whether hybrid or EV.
Lexus uses touch screen and flat-panel capacitive controls for some functions — temperature, fan speed — where I prefer physical controls, but at least there’s an easy to use volume control.
On the bright side, Lexus seems to have tired of flirtations with goofy controllers like the touch pad and joy stick it saddled some previous models with. Fine for desktop gaming, but not use in a moving vehicle.
Why buy a 2026 Lexus ES?
Visually striking and technically advanced, the 2026 Lexus ES straddles the space between midsize and large luxury sedans.
The interior is comfortable and appealing, with useful touces like a big center console, touch screen and improved voice recognition.
Lexus expects the hybrid to account for 80% of sales, but the EV’sappealing base price could easily push it higher.
2026 Lexus ES at a glance
Front- or All-wheel-wheel drive hybrid or electric luxury sedan
Seats 5
EV on sale now. Hybrid sales begin summer, 2026
Base price: $45,700 All prices exclude $1,395 destination charge
Model tested: 2026 Lexus ES 500e AWD EV
Price as tested: $61,320
Power: 338 hp
Battery range: 272 miles
Transmission: Single-speed direct-drive automatic
Battery size: 74.7 kW
Maximum charging speed: 150 kW
Charging time: DC: 10%-80% in 28 minutes; 240V AC: Seven hours
Wheelbase: 116.1 inches
Length: 202.4 inches
Width: 75.6 inches (excluding mirrors)
Height: 61.4 inches (with antenna)
Passenger space: NA
Cargo space: 13.3 cubic feet behind rear seat
Curb weight: 4,928pounds
Towing capacity: NA
Assembled in Kyushu, Japan
Contact Mark Phelan: mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2026 Lexus ES EV and hybrid’s size and style surprised me
Reporting by Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
