2019 Lexus ES Spied: Gearing Up for a Bigger Role?

What It Is: A redesigned version of Lexus’s popular ES sedan sporting considerably more aggressive styling. Clearly inspired by the angular lines of the all-new LS flagship, the seventh-generation ES appears longer, lower, and wider, possibly signifying a slight philosophical shift from the current car’s milquetoast image. The long-standing ES formula won’t change all that much, however, as we expect the new car to continue sharing its underlying mechanicals with Toyota’s Camry and Avalon sedans. Loyal Lexus buyers of a certain age wouldn’t want too much deviation from the norm.

Why It Matters: The ES has long been the brand’s second-best-selling model, behind the RX crossover—although the NX crossover is currently poised to take over that spot this year. Even as sedan sales continue to slow, the ES sits in the heart of the entry-luxury market with its reasonable price and spacious interior. This next-gen ES’s slinkier styling, combined with seeing this prototype testing alongside an Audi A6 and a Mercedes-Benz E-class, also fuel speculation that the new ES will become the brand’s sole mid-size sedan—meaning that the similarly sized Lexus GS sedan would be put out to pasture. The sportier, rear-drive-based GS has greater luxury cred, but it’s not selling well—Lexus moved only 4205 units through July of this year, to the ES’s 28,441. Trimming the GS would align with the current trend of paring passenger-car offerings as the market turns toward crossovers.

Platform: Like several Toyotas, most notably the new-for-2018 Camry and the forthcoming next-gen Avalon, the new ES will ride on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) underpinnings. That should make it lower and wider than before and imbue it—we hope—with the same dynamic upgrades that impressed us in the latest Camry. Like the current ES, the new model will use the Avalon’s longer wheelbase to maximize rear-seat room.

Powertrain: We expect that a 3.5-liter V-6 will continue to be the default engine choice for the standard ES350. Like the updated 2018 Camry, the ES should benefit from more power (for a total of about 300 horsepower) and an eight-speed automatic to replace the outgoing six-speed. An ES hybrid is a sure bet as well, likely with a version of the 2018 Camry hybrid’s drivetrain. If the ES does end up taking over for the GS, it would need to gain an all-wheel-drive option in addition to its standard front-wheel-drive setup.

Competition: Audi A6, Genesis G80, Lincoln Continental, Mercedes-Benz E-class, Volvo S90.

Estimated Arrival and Price: Look for the new ES to debut about a year from now as a 2019 model, priced a bit higher than today’s car, which starts at $39,895 for the ES350 and $42,815 for the ES300h hybrid.