THE HYBRID SALOON

We are behind the wheel of the Lexus ES 300h, which in its 2021 iteration received a facelift. With cosmetic tweaks and certain mechanical and technical upgrades, has the Japanese carmaker upped the game for rivals in the segment? Read on to know more about it...

- HARSHIT SRINIVAS

LEXUS, A JAPANESE AUTOMOBILE manufacturer, has been kind enough to team up with Just Urbane this month. We were not only given an insignificant period of time to test these several cars but also got to spent a brief time behind the wheel of these. And, having driven the Lexus ES 300h on a daily basis, here are my impressions of this luxury hybrid car.

LOOKS

The Lexus ES 300h has been the largest contributor to the great sales numbers for Lexus India besides its elder sibling the LS 500h. With numbers speaking for themselves, we knew that nothing much was required to change in the ES 300h. But, when in a heavily contested segment, you need to up your game and hence the 2021 Lexus ES 300h was introduced. The ES 300h already showcased an inclination towards a futuristic design and approach on the outside. However, things were a little dated on the inside. But, better late than ever, Lexus realised it post a lot of feedback coming their way from us (read Reviewers) or the prospective buyers and hence the result was the 2021 facelift version. So, without wasting much of your time we begin with stating the changes on the outside. You may need to pull out those magnifying glasses for this version at least. Up front, retaining an identical silhouette as of the previous generations, there are new design elements integrated into the headlamps. The signature spindle grille also gets a bit of revamping with L-shaped design bits making the nose look a little more premium and aggressive than the previous versions. Walk towards the side, and you see a taller set of tires with a new design which is now 18-inches as standard. The rear has been left completely untouched.