The Lexus ES has always been essentially the ritziest of Camrys. A sedan that vibed out "prosperous, but risk averse." A four-door that looked six years old when it was brand-new. As sensible as a paid-off mortgage and Skechers step-ins and as glorious as victory in a regional senior division pickleball tournament, it had its niche. And the new 2026 Lexus ES isn't too different.
Gone is V-6 power—sorry. In its place is a familiar hybrid drivetrain with a familiar four-cylinder gas burner or an increasingly familiar battery-fed all-electric system.
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As with so many Toyota products, the new ES is erected atop the TNGA (Toyota next generation architecture), which underpins everything from Corolla subcompact sedans through the truly large Lexus TX crossover. The five-passenger ES is the first, Lexus says, using the latest GA-K. evolution.
There are four variations on the new ES. Two all-electric—ES 350e and ES 500e—which, together, Lexus expects will make up about 20 percent of ES series sales. And two hybrid versions—the ES 350h with front-wheel drive and ES 350h with all-wheel drive. Road & Track drove all the variants at a press event in San Diego, but dynamic impressions come from the front-drive ES 350h, which will make up the majority of sales.
View Price on AmazonThe GA-K can accommodate hybrid or all-electric powertrains while using a common floor stamping. That may seem like a minor distinction, but it's a true engineering achievement considering the challenges of exhaust routing, battery placement, drivetrain differences, and crash-safety performance.
More Specs: Powertrain: Gas and electric hybrid, front-wheel drive Power: 244 hp Torque: 175 lb-ft 0-60 mph: 7.3 sec. (Mfr. Est.) Battery Capacity: 1.6 kWh Weight: 4001 lbs (Mfr. Est.) EPA Fuel Economy (MPG): 48 city / 44 hwy / 46 combined
Riding on a 116.1-inch wheelbase, up 3.1 inches from the 2025 edition and the same as the TX crossover, the new ES feels and drives substantially larger than its predecessors. The tall roof and fastback-ish greenhouse are more reminiscent of contemporary SUV coupes like the BMW X6 than of the old ES three-box profile.
For three-box purists, Lexus will continue to offer the IS 350 sedan with rear-wheel drive and a naturally aspirated V-6 during 2026. Snag it while it still exists.
The internal-combustion engine is the 2.5-liter inline-four that works so well in so many other Toyota applications. In the ES it's rated at 186 hp at 6000 rpm, which is close enough to the Camry's 184-hp rating that the difference could be attributed to testing variations. Or that the marketing department craved a distinction, which is facilitated by the recommendation of premium grade fuel. The engine feeds a continuously variable automatic transmission, which is viceless in operation but hardly inspiring.
The electric component is a permanent-magnet synchronous motor that, like the entire Toyota hybrid system, is well-proven bulletproof. There are good reasons why Toyota hybrids currently dominate New York City's yellow-cab fleet. Go for the all-wheel-drive model, and a second electric motor is positioned out back to power those wheels. The lithium-ion battery pack mounts crossways behind the rear seat.
Lexus rates the whole system working together at 244 hp whether with two- or all-wheel drive. Apparently, Lexus only allows the system to pull out amperage at the same metered rate whether it's feeding one or two motors.
Lexus claims the front-driver will hit 60 mph in 7.3 seconds and the all-drive machine will hit the same benchmark in 7.1 seconds. Not awful, but not NHRA Pro Stock–challenging either. In compensation, the front-driver's EPA mileage ratings come in at an impressive 48 mpg in the city, 44 mpg on the highway, and 46 mpg combined.
Source: roadandtrack.com
