Lexus has revealed some significant updates for the 2022 version of its ES midsize luxury sedan, including a revised infotainment system, enhancements to the car’s safety assist features, and a gentle styling refresh.
This marks the first update for the seventh-generation ES, which arrived as a 2019 model and shares its platform with the current Toyota Camry family sedan. The 2022 ES’s powertrain options will be carried over from this year’s car: in the ES 250 AWD, a 2.5L four-cylinder with AWD; a 3.5L V6 with front-drive for the ES 350; and a gas-electric hybrid combo for the front-drive ES 300h.
The change that will most affect an ES owner’s day-to-day experience is a revised infotainment system. Lexus has moved the ES’s screen 110 mm closer to the driver and front passenger and made both the standard 8.0-inch and available 12.3-inch displays touch-sensitive. That means you will no longer have to use the clunky touchpad-based interface to access the car’s infotainment functions.
On the safety front, the 2022 ES upgrades to Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 (LSS+ 2.5) from this year’s 2.0 setup, a move that brings a few new features and improvements to existing functions. The forward collision detection function gets a better camera; a new intersection turning assist feature can recognize oncoming traffic when you’re making a left-hand turn, and can identify pedestrians crossing the road as you make a left- or right-hand turn; emergency steering assist helps control the car in evasive manoeuvres; radar cruise highway passing assist automatically accelerates the car to the set speed when the driver initiates a lane change to get out from behind a slower vehicle; and the lane-departure warning system is better at recognizing lane markings and the road edge.
Lexus has also made a couple of changes aimed at improving the ES’s driving dynamics.
In gas-powered models, there’s a new master cylinder and vacuum assist booster that the company says have been optimized for more linear braking feel; the ES hybrid’s electronic braking setup also gets tweaks for better pedal feel; and all ES models get a larger brake pedal.
The ES’s rear suspension gains a new structural brace that adds body rigidity and promises to improve the car’s handling and ride comfort.
Finally, there’s a restyled grille framed by new headlights with standard auto-leveling. Lexus says it has also revised the ES’s trim structure that better separates the car’s available style and performance options, including F Sport packages that will once again be offered on the ES 250 AWD and ES 350.
Lexus says the 2022 ES will arrive in Canadian dealerships this fall, with details about pricing and options to be revealed as the on-sale date approaches.
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