Spindle Grille Makes Its Way To The 2016 Lexus ES Sedan
Lexus just loves is spindle grille, even if many absolutely hate it. It is staying steadfast in its decision to keep the design alive indefinitely. But it's doing more than keeping it alive. It's also spreading it further. Now the controversial grille design is making its way to the car maker's midsize sedan, starting with the 2016 Lexus ES. But while that particular element might be its most glaring difference from its predecessors, the car actually remains somewhat unchanged in other areas, perhaps to minimize the shock people might have.
Love it or hate, and some people really do, those grilles are here to stay in Lexus' roadmap. Though likened by some to beard trimmers, the grilles are a bold and unique characteristic that easily marks a car as a Lexus. The headlamps and fog lamps have been modified to better match this drastic change. The changes to the rear are subtler yet also noticeable, with L-shaped taillamps and equally radical rectangular tailpipes, at least on the ES350 model.
Inside, however, the changes are even more minimal, except for the immediately obvious new color scheme revolving around brown, parchment, and grey tones. The center display has been replaced by a 4-inch TFT screen to get in with the times. The Remote Touch Interface now sports two Enter buttons. Because why should you settle for only one? The rest of the design barely little change from the 2016 ES' previous model.
Under the hood is where things get a bit more diverse. Some markets, including China, will be graced by the presence of 2.0 or 2.5 liter four-cylinder engines, but models in the US won't. This side of the world will have the ES350 and the ES300h hybrid to keep them company. To match its entry level character, the 2016 Lexus ES will get Lexus' low-cost Safety System+, which already includes features like auto-breaking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and auto high beams.
The 2016 Lexus ES will be making its global debut at the Shanghai Auto Show this week. Price and availability details in the US are still unknown, but they shouldn't stray too far from current models considering how little has changed. Except for the grille, of course.
VIA: Car and Driver