2022 Lexus ES gets big touch screen, new safety technology and small style updates

During its 30-year history, the Lexus ES has gained an unfair reputation as a relatively dull sedan. But the truth is that the ES is a really fantastic luxury car. Therefore, we are excited about Sunday’s debut of the 2022 ES: The changes here are not big from a technological or style point of view, but they should be a great way to make the ES even more relentlessly capable. The ES will probably remain the most ‘Lexus’ Lexus, that is, quiet, comfortable, well-built and endlessly reliable – all good things.

The style of the exterior of the Lexus ES in 2022 is subtle. There’s new, angler headlights and a new pattern for the Predator – sorry, Axis grille. Lexus calls this pattern gauze, but it’s more like an egg crate.

Where things get really compelling, it’s in the cabin. Finally, the central infotainment screen is a touch screen: you no longer have to use buttons or trackpads to control your system. Welcome to 2021. The base screen is only eight inches large, but you can and should go up to the 12.3-inch screen. The screen has also been moved 4.3 centimeters closer to the driver. We have a similar move in the redesigned 2021 Lexus LS.

Other significant changes include an upgrade of Lexus Safety Sense Plus 2.5, which includes a new millimeter-wave radar system to speed up the detection of pedestrians and cyclists for automatic emergency braking technology. It also gets a new, adaptable cruise control system that allows the vehicle to stop and move again on its own – which is a big plus in our book – as well as reducing the speed for turns in certain conditions. The best part is that Safety Sense Plus 2.5 is standard on all ES finish levels.

From a performance standpoint, there is not much to write home about. Lexus did play with the ES ‘brake system to make the pedal feel louder under hard braking, and it adjusted the shape of the brake pedal to make it feel more stable. There are also additional reinforcements at the rear to increase the stiffness of the chassis.

Three models will be offered for 2022: a four-cylinder ES 250 AWD, V6-powered ES 350 and ES 300h hybrid. F Sport finishes will be available on all models, and all F Sport variants can be equipped with a new Dynamic Handling Package that offers customizable dampers, a Sport Plus ride mode and parking assistance. The handling of package motors also gets an individual ride mode that can be set by the user.

Lexus expects the 2022 ES Series to hit U.S. retailers in the fall of 2021 and release pricing information closer to that time.