New Lexus ES TEASED as the new Lexus Flagship – debuts 23 April

A new Lexus ES will be revealed in Shanghai on 23 April, ahead of which Lexus teases its arrival as a new Lexus Flagship.

There’s a new Lexus ES on the way – the eighth generation – and Lexus has turned up with a single teaser image (above) to tease its arrival on 23 April at the Shanghai Motor Show.

This may be the eighth-generation ES, but for the UK it’s a relatively new model, having only arrived in 2018 as an effective replacement for the similar – but more expensive- Lexus GS.

Interestingly, Lexus says the new ES is a “new flagship model in the Lexus range”, which suggests the LS may be about to bow out around the world (it’s already gone from the UK after just three were sold in 2024).

Although the Lexus ES sits near the bottom of Lexus’s UK sales charts, having sold just 555 in 2024 it sits behind everything from the LBX to the RX in terms of numbers, despite which it seems certain the new ES will go on sale here, although its real strenghth is in markets, like China and the US, which still have a healthy appetite for saloon cars.

Lexus is promising the new ES will deliver a “further evolution of the hallmark quietness and ride comfort”, with a more coupe roofline than the current model, a full-width light bar at the back, ‘Swoosh’ running lights, and design cues borrowed from the electric RZ.

Powertrains are likely to be the latest full hybrid and PHEV, with Lexus promising “advanced electrification technologies” and an interior likely to be similar to the RZ.

Lexus says details of specific models, powertrains and technology for the UK will be announced when the new ES debuts in Shanghai.