- Lexus introduced a revised ES sedan in Guangzhou
- Its interior is revised for extra digital real estate
- The car could land in North America as a 2026 model year
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One could be forgiven for thinking the entirety of model lineups at most luxury brands are comprised solely of SUVs and crossovers, such is the sales dominance of those vehicles. However, there is still room at the table for cushy sedans – and Lexus has just shown one in China which is likely to make its way here for the 2026 model year.
Currently in its seventh generation, the 2026 Lexus ES‘s facelift involves a few tweaks to the nose and a revamped interior. Up front we find the so-called ‘seamless’ grille, a new take on the corporate maw which flows from body colour to an open grille through a series of octagonal inserts and was first seen on the new RX. Different lighting signatures in new headlamps bookend the grille. Out back, the car takes numerous cues from other recently introduced Lexus models by adopting a full-width light bar and swapping the oval Lexus logo for a L E X U S chrome billboard.
But people generally buy large sedans for the interior accommodations, a space in which the brand has also made changes for the upcoming year. The centre stack area is new, making room for a jumbo infotainment screen which now measures 14.0 inches. Controls also take cues from recent changes introduced in models like the NX, ditching the infernal touchpad control and sprouting a couple of rotary dials for ventilation duties.
No changes are expected under the hood for Lexus ES models sold in the Chinese market, though we will note the Toyota Camry (with which the ES has traditionally shared much) is offered solely as a fuel sipping hybrid in North America. That powertrain was revised and improved during the Camry overhaul; perhaps the same will happen with the ES in our market, as well.
This model was shown at Auto Guangzhou in China where it will go on sale prior to reaching our shores. However, expect the car seen here to land as a 2026 model in our country sometime next year.
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