Lexus ES250 vs KGM Musso Ev

What's the difference?

It may be shrinking but sizable fish still swim in the mid-size luxury sedan pool, with the German ‘Big Three’ (Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class) joined by the likes of Alfa's Giulia, the Jaguar XE, Volvo S60, and... the Lexus ES.

Once the brand's low-key, relatively conservative option, in its seventh-generation the ES blossomed into a full-blown design showpiece. And now it's received a mid-life update with an additional engine choice, upgraded tech, and a refreshed look inside and out.

Has Lexus done enough to bump the ES up the premium sedan ladder? We joined the local launch drive to find out.

Electrified utes are growing in popularity in Australia and carmakers have been paying attention.

While the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute is by far the best-selling as it stands, there hasn’t really been any electric ute to go up against the poorly received LDV eT60, until now.

South Korea’s KGM (formerly known as SsangYong) has just launched the Musso EV, which is a purely electric dual-cab ute. It’s unrelated to the existing, turbo-diesel Musso and is more closely related to the current car-based Actyon and Torres SUVs.

Read along to see how this ute stacks up against its growing set of competitors.