Lexus LF Reviews

We turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars and ask the big questions, including the most important -- would you buy one?

Lexus has reintroduced the ES nameplate to Australia, with an all-new four-model lineup that undercuts the previous ES by up to $12,500.Sitting between between the existing Lexus IS and GS lineups, the new ES range defies Lexus convention by pricing the new ES 300h hybrid variants beneath the petrol-only ES 350 by $2000 across Luxury and Luxury Sports trim levels.“The decision to lead ES pricing with the hybrid is a result of higher consumer demand and the commercialisation of hybrid technology,” Lexus Australia chief executive Sean Hanley says.“More than 30 per cent of Lexus customers locally choose hybrid as their preferred drivetrain and we believe ES will grow that proportion as we edge ever closer to our goal of 50 per cent hybrid.”The ES 300h Luxury kicks off the range at $63,000, with the Sports Luxury grade commanding a $9000 premium for either driveline – topping off with the ES 350 Sports Luxury at $74,000.The previous fourth-generation ES exited the Australian market in 2006 with its single-spec priced at $76,500, and the new model follows its predecessors with a mid-sized body and front-wheel drivetrain.Australia missed out on the fifth-generation ES range due to a lack of right-hand drive availability, and Lexus Australia lobbied hard to plug the resulting gap in their lineup with the new model."Over the past seven years, luxury vehicle customers have been looking for a vehicle like ES and we are happy to welcome them to the Lexus family," Hanley added.The price-leading ES 300h Luxury comes with partial leather trim, satnav, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, glass sunroof, 10 airbags, eight-speaker audio, proximity keys, air-purifying dual zone climate control, digital radio, Lexus Remote Touch driver interface, multiple drive mode selection and 17 inch alloys. A $3000 Enhancement Pack is available for the entry ES 300h Luxury, which adds a Pre-Collision safety system and active cruise control.These features are standard on the rest of the ES lineup, with Sport Luxury versions of both models also gaining semi-aniline leather trim, three-zone climate control, HID headlamps, unique 17 inch alloys, 15-speaker Mark Levinson Audio, heated front and rear seats with ventilation on the fronts, powered boot lid, manual side sun shades, rear centre armrest-mounted ventilation, audio and sunroof controls.Both models come with a full-size alloy spare wheel, with the ES 350’s 490L boot dropping to 420L for the ES 300h, and losing the petrol models' ski port boot access. ES 300h hybrid models are powered by a 151kW transversely-mounted version of the 2.5-Litre four cylinder petrol-electric drivetrain fitted to the smaller IS 300h with a six-step CVT auto. Petrol-only ES 350 models come with a 204kW 3.5-Litre V6 -- as seen in the RX 350 SUV – tied to a six-speed torque converter automatic.Lexus is yet to confirm official fuel figures for the new ES lineup, but both ES 300h models qualify for the Luxury Car Tax exemption for fuel-efficient vehicles. Full details will be available after the official launch in early November.PRICINGLexus ES 300h Luxury – $63,000Lexus ES 300h Sports Luxury - $72,000Lexus ES 350 Luxury – $65,000Lexus ES 350 Sports Luxury - $74,000 This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

I go weak at the knees just thinking about big 4WDs with V8 engines.

We've bid bye-bye to the RX270 Lexus, a car we have grown to like for many reasons over three months and 7000km.

Take some high-tech projection mapping software, an empty warehouse, an F1 driver and the new Lexus IS Hybrid and it becomes the recipe for the world's first full-sized, real time video game. Created for the Italian branch of Lexus, to launch the Hybrid IS there, the project chose 10 of the brand's Facebook fans and paired them with F1 driver Jarno Trulli and a projection mapping iPad app to compete against each other.Each had to design a race circuit, then ride shotgun with Trulli while tracing their course on the iPad, which projected their circuit onto the warehouse floor. Called 'Trace Your Road', the competition set the task of hitting seven designated touch points while completing the circuit in the fastest time.  Watch the 'Trace Your Road' video game action.  This reporter is on Twitter: @Karla_Pincott  

The premium offshoot of Toyota is now well established in this country and this third generation IS range has plenty of appeal enough for its European rivals to be worried.

Perhaps even with supercharging, as the Japanese brand's European engineers turn up the wick on serious performance model.Lexus is already committed to an IS F coupe that will rival the new BMW Z4, but the GS project is about major bragging rights in a class where 700 Newton-metres of torque is the price of admission.

It's been the best looking Lexus for a long time and the new model IS continues that trend with its sporty, sexy lines and striking front and rear styling.

Lexus has issued a challenge to the prestige crossover market with the unveiling of the LF-NX concept at the Frankfurt motor show this week. If built – and we’ve no doubt the concept is leading to the showroom floor – the LF-NX concept will face off against the likes of Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA Class.The LF-NX at the show is powered by a new evolution of Lexus’ Hybrid Drive technology specially tuned for crossover performance, and features a razor-sharp new look that takes the “L-finesse” design language to a new level. Finishing it off is a novel brushed-metallic silver finish, accentuating the strikingly angular body.With a wide stance that amplifies an aggressive attitude, the sleek exterior of the LF-NX takes cues from the revamped 2014 Lexus IS sedan, it is also equipped with the same independent Daytime Running Lights (DRL). The front of the car draws into the signature Lexus spindle grill, with jagged contours tessellated all around.Production versions of the LF-NX will undoubtedly be toned down significantly, but we expect proportions and the majority of design details to be retained in the road-going variants, likely to be offered as a new turbocharged four-cylinder NX200t and a hybrid sibling NX300h.Lexus has clear intentions of luring younger buyers with the LF-NX. "The new LF-NX concept explores the potential for a compact crossover within the Lexus model range. This concept is youthful, confident and innovative,” executive vice president of Lexus Mark Templin said at the unveiling.The younger demographic will be switched onto the next generation of in-car technology in the LF-NX’s cockpit-like cabin. Touch-sensitive electrostatic switches and a central Remote Touch Interface (RTI) allow the driver to dynamically configure display features on the dashboard. 

Innovation, many hybrids and all-electrics, some high-powered models and a couple of striking retro-inspired coupes are the highlights of this year's Frankfurt motor show. Throw in some staged antics and the world's biggest car show becomes even better.Volvo set the pace with an unveiling of its Concept Coupe, a technologically advanced number of exceptional grace reminiscent of its iconic P1800 of the 1960s. It embodies what Volvo calls its 'human centric experience' and apart from a host of safety electronics, has the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder motor that will soon replace the brand's five and six-cylinder engines.The engine has turbo and supercharging plus a plug-in electric motor, resulting in V8-like performance, but with minicar fuel consumption. However, the classy coupe is not scheduled for production in the near future. Instead, it marks the capability of Volvo's new architecture and elements of its design will feature on all future models, starting with the new XC90 in about a year.Frankfurt was also used to display a growing trend towards compact premium SUVs. Mercedes-Benz showed its cute new GLA-class SUV with new generation 4matic all-wheel drive, and Infiniti unveiled its Q30 concept, which it said was in a unique class, being a blend of coupe, hatch and crossover. A surprise was the appearance of F1 racing camp Sebastien Vettel, who said he helped sort the Q30's handling.Minutes later, Lexus trumped that by having a couple of giant animated creatures, seemingly from outer space, whip the covers of its new LF-NX, another smallish Crossover concept. It, too, had a hybrid powertrain and despite an enthusiastic description of how it's brushed metal finish made it look as if carved from a single billet of solid metal, it was just plain ugly.Then there were the glam cars: Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar, BMW, Aston-Martin and lots of specially-bodied creations from Brabus and similar outfits, scores of Fiats and Smarts, Hyundais and Kias and about 50 more brands. Spread through about a dozen vast halls, they added up to sore feet and bewildered looks as people did their best to absorb the techno and visual overdose of tomorrow's dream machines.