Skip advert
Advertisement
Opinion

‘Lexus is finally becoming comfortable in its own skin’

As Lexus moves towards electrification and targets leading brands, interesting times lie ahead

These are interesting times at Lexus. For years, Toyota’s luxury brand has been an interesting left-field alternative to the established German premium manufacturers and Jaguar Land Rover, but no more than that.

It nailed customer service from the start, of course, and our annual Driver Power poll indicates that Lexus hasn’t lost its touch in that area. But the company’s attempts to capture BMW and Jaguar customers by offering its interpretation of ‘driver involvement’ have, by and large, fallen flat.

Advertisement - Article continues below

New Lexus ES 2018 review

There are some signs, though, that Lexus is finally becoming comfortable in its own skin.

The latest ES is not the last word in driver excitement. But at some point during its development, Lexus’s engineers were clearly given the brief to chase after the principles of not the latest BMW 5 Series but rather the likes of the Mercedes E-Class and Volvo S90 – models that focus on refinement and comfort instead of B-road alacrity. And they’ve succeeded.

The final piece in the jigsaw for Lexus could be the seemingly relentless sway away from diesel engines. More of the firm’s rivals are moving towards electrification, but Lexus has bags of experience in not only developing hybrid tech, but also explaining it and selling it to customers.

It isn’t likely to overtake BMW, Audi and Mercedes in European markets any time soon – not least because Lexus sees discounting as a dirty word when it’s an everyday reality, especially in fleet sales. But it’s fascinating to see how instead of scrabbling desperately to get closer to buyer trends, Lexus is suddenly able to allow them to come in its direction.

Read our review of the latest Lexus RX L

Skip advert
Advertisement
Editor-at-large

John started journalism reporting on motorsport – specifically rallying, which he had followed avidly since he was a boy. After a stint as editor of weekly motorsport bible Autosport, he moved across to testing road cars. He’s now been reviewing cars and writing news stories about them for almost 20 years.

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Shanghai Motor Show 2025: what all the big car brands are up to
Shanghai Motor Show 2025 - header

Shanghai Motor Show 2025: what all the big car brands are up to

The Shanghai Auto Show is now an established part of the automotive calendar – we’ve got a full list of show debuts
News
25 Mar 2025
Lexus planning a thrilling new range of ultra high-performance models
Lexus LBX Morizo RR - dynamic front 3/4

Lexus planning a thrilling new range of ultra high-performance models

The long-lived RC F will be axed this year, but Lexus is set to unleash a new wave of exciting new performance-focused cars
News
17 Jan 2025

Most Popular

Range Rover Sport SV gets massive £35k price drop as it enters series-production
Range Rover Sport SV Black - front

Range Rover Sport SV gets massive £35k price drop as it enters series-production

There’s also a new SV Black trim, and a Range Rover Sport Stealth Package for non SVs
News
1 Jul 2025
Arrivederci Roma: new Ferrari Amalfi slots in as brand’s latest entry-level model
Ferrari Amalfi - front static

Arrivederci Roma: new Ferrari Amalfi slots in as brand’s latest entry-level model

A slick new look and more power are the headlines for Ferrari’s new baby, but it’s probably some simple new buttons that will get customers’ attention
News
1 Jul 2025
Geely is coming to the UK, and its assault will start with EX5 SUV
Geely EX5 - front

Geely is coming to the UK, and its assault will start with EX5 SUV

Geely has looked to Lotus to ensure it's new electric SUV lives up to our driving expectations
News
2 Jul 2025