All-New 2026 Lexus ES Offers Stepped Electrification with PHEV and EV Powertrains

Competes with: Acura TLX, Audi A6, Genesis G80, a loaded Toyota Camry

Looks like: A Toyota Crown sedan

Powertrain: Plug-in hybrid 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable automatic transmission or single or dual electric motors; front- or all-wheel drive

Release date: In 2026

Lexus has been one of the luxury market’s most enthusiastic proponents of hybridization since the launch of the 2026 RX 400h. And now that the brand’s parent company, Toyota, is embracing further evolutions of electrification, it’s only natural that Lexus would follow suit.

The ES sedan has always been the luxury brand’s plusher evolution of the Toyota Camry. Now that the new Camry is hybrid-only, the all-new 2026 ES will be available either as a plug-in hybrid or a pure electric vehicle.

Related: 2022 Lexus ES 350 Review: Now More Reasons to Buy

Next-Generation Styling

One look at the all-new 2026 ES is all it takes to know there’s a battery pack under the floor of that new sheet metal — or at least space reserved for a battery pack. Lexus is using the 2026 ES to debut a number of next steps: a new design language, new infotainment tech and new active-safety systems. Derived from the styling of the LF-ZC concept Lexus debuted in 2023, the ES’ new look is not a radical departure from the brand’s prior portfolio, but it features sharper creases with flatter surfaces joining them rather than the bulges and organic curves on current Lexuses.

One major departure is up front, where Lexus’s signature “spindle grille” faced an existential quandary. Without the cooling and intake-air requirements of an internal-combustion engine, EVs don’t need grilles to facilitate underhood airflow. On the ES, the outline of the spindle remains, with only a relatively small opening at the bottom of the front bumper to feed air to the ES 350h’s four-cylinder engine. A pair of razor-thin LED check marks function as the headlights, with an equally fine-gauge LED band spanning the width of the tail and passing through an illuminated Lexus wordmark.

At 61.2 inches tall (or 61.4 inches in EV form), the 2026 ES is almost 5 inches taller than its predecessor, giving it the high-waisted, sedan-or-SUV tweener proportions of the Toyota Crown — which is nearly an inch shorter than the electric ES. It is also 6.4 inches longer than the outgoing car and 2.1 inches wider, with a meaningful 3.1-inch wheelbase stretch that will likely translate to an even more commodious cabin than before.

Inside, the ES is defined by minimalism and straight lines. A strong horizontal beam spans the lower dash and houses the climate and memory-seat preset controls, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and a 14-inch touchscreen above it. Lexus says the 2026 ES launches the latest version of its infotainment system, but beyond the fact that it will include standard wireless smartphone connectivity and offer split-screen capability — as well as Lexus’s signature Mark Levinson sound system — details are few at this point.

Lexus also says the 2026 ES will be its first product to boast its next-generation safety suite, dubbed Lexus Safety System+ 4.0. The company isn’t sharing any details on the tech yet.

Electrified and Electric Powertrains

Lexus is holding details close to the chest for the time being, but it has named the upcoming ES models. The plug-in hybrid will be called the ES 350h. Using a further development of the hybrid powertrain in the Camry (sixth-generation tech versus the Toyota’s fifth-gen system), the ES 350h will use a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and be available with front- and all-wheel drive.

The EVs will be the ES 350e and ES 500e, with FWD and AWD, respectively. The brand isn’t talking power numbers yet, only saying that it expects the ES 350e to be capable of covering 300 miles on a charge. The electrical components and sturdy structures necessary to support and protect an EV are heavy, so even the plug-in hybrid ES is 330 pounds heavier than the previous 2025 ES 300h, while the EV is upwards of 1,000 pounds more massive.

More From Cars.com:

• Back to Black: 2025 Lexus ES Priced From $43,190, Black Line Special Edition Returns
• 2022 Lexus ES 350: 6 Things We Like (and 4 Not So Much)
• Study: These 3-Year-Old Cars Are the Most Dependable
• Research the Lexus ES 350
• Find Your Next Car

New Trim and Luxury Options

Interior ornamentation in the ES takes forms new to Lexus, with the images seen here showing what the brand calls Bamboo Layering. Unless it’s figured out how to 3D print with plant fibers, the trim isn’t made from real bamboo, but Lexus says the material “recreates the depth and flow of natural bamboo.” Embossed synthetic leather panels are the alternative.

For the first time, Lexus is also offering an option historically reserved for its larger luxury cars in the ES. The Executive Package features reclining rear seats — with an ottoman for the passenger-side chair — with heating, ventilation and massage. The brand specifically notes the package will be offered on the ES 350e, which makes one wonder if it will be standard on the ES 500e.

Release Date and Pricing

More information about the 2026 Lexus ES, including pricing and performance figures, will come closer to the new car’s on-sale date in 2026.

Related Video:

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.