Lexus launches the new ES as an EV and makes hybrid buyers wait

Key takeaways

• 2026 Lexus ES priced from $75,000 before on-road costs
• Electric ES350e Sports Luxury undercuts the flagship hybrid by $5,000
• ES350e claims 510km WLTP range, ES500e makes 252kW

Lexus has confirmed Australian pricing for the 2026 Lexus ES and for the first time in the nameplate's history you can buy one as a pure EV. Electric variants reach showrooms first from $77,000 before on-road costs.

The hybrid follows later this year and it has moved a long way up. The ES300h Luxury now costs $75,000, a $9,460 increase over the model it replaces.

Look further up the range and the picture gets stranger. The best-equipped hybrid, the ES300h Luxury with Enhancement Pack, is $82,000. The electric ES350e Sports Luxury is $77,000 and carries more standard equipment again.

2026 Lexus ES pricing

The F Sport grade is gone, and Sports Luxury trim is now exclusive to the electric cars. That gets buyers 21-inch alloys, adaptive suspension, semi-aniline leather-accented seats, soft-close doors and radiant heaters for front occupants.

Specs and performance

Both EVs take 150kW DC charging, good for 10 to 80% in a claimed 28 minutes, plus 22kW three-phase AC. The ES500e is the first all-wheel drive ES sold in Australia.

Hybrid buyers pay more and get less power. Tougher emissions rules have detuned the 2.5-litre four to 105kW, dropping combined output from 160kW to 144kW. A stronger 150kW drive motor still cuts the 0-100km/h claim from 8.9 seconds to 7.7.

A much bigger car

At 5145mm long on a 2950mm wheelbase, the ES has stretched 170mm and now sits alongside the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class rather than the 3 Series and C-Class it used to chase. Both German rivals start above $117,000.

Inside, a 14-inch touchscreen runs the new Arene operating system, joined by a 12.3-inch driver display and touch-sensitive climate shortcuts that appear only when your hand approaches.

Lexus is pricing the hybrid out of its own showroom

Deleting F Sport, capping the hybrid at one grade plus a pack, and pricing a better-equipped EV $5,000 below that pack is a migration play, not an accident.

Launching electric-first while the hybrid waits months tells you which car Lexus wants counted in its early volume. Expect the ES300h to fall below 30% of local ES sales within 18 months, with the hybrid retained for fleet and regional buyers who can't charge at home. Against the BMW i4 at $88,900, the ES350e undercuts by $11,900 while delivering a car a full size class larger.

The ES has quietly stopped being a mid-size sedan. Hybrid buyers now wait months for a car that makes less power and costs $9460 more, while a better-equipped EV sits in the showroom right now.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the 2026 Lexus ES in Australia?

Pricing starts at $75,000 before on-road costs for the ES300h Luxury hybrid and runs to $84,000 for the ES500e Sports Luxury electric.

What is the range of the electric Lexus ES?

The front-wheel drive ES350e claims 510km on the WLTP cycle. The all-wheel drive ES500e claims 465km from the same 74.7kWh battery.

When does the 2026 Lexus ES arrive in Australia?

The electric ES350e and ES500e arrive first, around the middle of 2026, with the ES300h hybrid following later in the year.