Published September 7, 2012
By Philippe Crowe
Tim Morrison, vice president of Lexus sales and dealer development surprised many during the brand's August 2012 sales conference call by announcing 817 sales of the new ES Hybrid sedan.
He was quoted saying “In its first month on sale, the all-new ES got off to a great start with sales of 7,557, more than 800 of which were the first-ever ES hybrid. As hybrid production catches up, we expect it to comprise an even greater portion of the ES mix.”
This is great news for a car that is barely arriving at dealerships. Considering there are 229 Lexus dealers in the U.S., this means there are already almost four ES Hybrids sold per dealer. Of course, each dealer is likely to have at least one demo. Still, this sales figure shows the company goal of selling 15,000 a year is realistic.
Known as the ES 300h, this full hybrid features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine shared with the Camry Hybrid, and generates 200 total system horsepower.
The ES 300h features a Drive Mode selector with EV, Normal, Sport and Eco modes. Normal mode provides a blend of performance and efficiency that is suited to everyday driving, while Eco mode favors fuel economy. Sport mode increases powertrain and steering responsiveness, and changes the IP from the hybrid power monitor to a tachometer. The EV mode allows short distance drives, at reduced speed, using only the power from the hybrid battery pack.
Revised inside and out, this sixth generation features a lower profile and clean styling lines from front to rear.
Fuel economy for this luxury sedan is rated at 40 mpg city, 39 mpg highway and 40 mpg combined. The ES 300h, carries an MSRP of $38,850.
