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Lexus ES nips-and-tucks previewed ahead of 2021 Shanghai show

Lexus will travel to the biennial Shanghai auto show to present a futuristic concept called LF-Z that previews how its range will evolve by the middle of the 2020s. It's not forgetting about the near-term future, though. It will also introduce an updated version of the current-generation ES, its midrange sedan, at the event. Previewed by a 15-second video posted on YouTube, the nipped-and-tucked ES gains redesigned headlights with square lighting elements and bolder-looking LED daytime running lights. That's all Lexus is showing us so far. It's not much, but it's enough to tell the exterior visual changes are largely evolutionary, not revolutionary. Lexus previously proved that, when it comes to luxury sedans, what motorists can't see is at least as important as what they can see. It made the LS, its flagship sedan, smoother by redesigning the motor mounts, changing the stiffness of the tires, and adding deeper stitch points to the seats. The ES could learn some of these tricks. Engine options will likely remain largely unchanged, meaning the ES will carry on with a 215-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder or a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 302 horses. Alternatively, the lineup will also include a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain built around a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and a pair of electric motors. The V6 and the hybrid variants are front-wheel-drive, while the non-electrified four is exclusively offered with all-wheel-drive.  Lexus will fully unveil the updated ES on April 18, a day before the Shanghai show opens its doors, and sales in China will start shortly after. In the United States, the refreshed ES will arrive in showrooms as a 2022 model. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible Walkaround

2019 Lexus GX 460 Drivers' Notes Review | An ancient, yet luxurious SUV

The 2019 Lexus GX 460 is an old-school SUV with luxury draped all over it. Body-on-frame SUVs are the exception these days, as unibody crossovers lead the way forward. There are plenty of great reasons for this, but the GX marches on as a unabashedly truck-like SUV. Nothing about the price screams truck, though. At $70,840 as-tested, anybody who buys a new GX 460 is going to be left with a sizable hole in their wallet. However, it’s not without a bevy of luxury features. Being the high-zoot “Luxury” trim level, ours comes standard with an adaptive suspension, semi-aniline leather interior, a power-folding third row, mahogany wood accents and three-zone climate control. That said, Lexus still managed to tack on a decent number of options. A $2,340 Driver Support package added the Mark Levinson audio system and a suite of driver assistance systems. Our tester also had a $1,970 rear seat entertainment system and a $1,950 Sport Design Package. The package includes 18-inch gunmetal wheels, heated second-row captainÂ’s chairs and a sizable list of exterior changes like front and rear bumper spoilers and scarlet taillights. The powertrain is also stuck in a older time period. Whereas most large crossovers now use downsized turbocharged engines, this Lexus sticks with a 4.6-liter V8 good for ... wait for it ... 301 horsepower. The V6-powered ES 350 makes 302. Worse, the GX gets poor fuel economy and doesnÂ’t exactly rocket up to speed with much excitement, either. At least it's proven from a reliability standpoint. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: We try to talk about a specific element of the vehicles we test in Drivers' Notes, but indulge me today. IÂ’m going to talk about the Lexus GX 460Â’s ethos. By that I mean itÂ’s an old-school SUV that looks and feels the part. Wrapped in LexusÂ’ sharp, spindly styling, itÂ’s classy yet also kind of hulking. The steering is light and the vague brakes have little bite at first and then a lot as the pedal travel increases, making for challenging inputs for the driver. Still, I like it. The GX 460 captures the ethos of an old-school SUV perfectly. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: For a three-row SUV, the GX feels pretty small inside. The second row is decent, but I know Greg had to do a little moving of seats in order to fit a rear-facing child seat back there.

Google self-driving Lexus crashes into a bus

Google's self-driving cars have been in accidents before, but always on the receiving end... at least, until now. The company has filed a California DMV accident report (PDF) confirming that one of its autonomous vehicles (a Lexus RX450h) collided with a bus in Mountain View. The crash happened when the robotic SUV had to go into the center lane to make a right turn around some sand bags – both the vehicle and its test driver incorrectly assumed that a bus approaching from behind would slow or stop to let the car through. The Lexus smacked into the side of the bus at low speed, damaging its front fender, wheel and sensor in the process. This was a minor incident, and we're happy to report that there were no injuries. However, this might be the first instance where one of Google's self-driving cars caused an accident. If so, the Mountain View crew can no longer say it's an innocent dove on the roads -- while this wasn't a glitch, its software made a decision that led to a crash. We've reached out to Google to see if it can elaborate on what happened. No matter what the response, it was always going to be difficult to avoid this kind of incident. Until self-driving cars can anticipate every possible road hazard, there's always a chance that they'll either be confused or make choices with unexpected (and sometimes unfortunate) consequences. However, the hope at this early stage isn't to achieve a flawless track record. Instead, it's to show that self-driving cars can be safer overall than their human-piloted counterparts.Related Video:This article by Jon Fingas originally ran on Engadget, the definitive guide to this connected life. Image Credit: AP Photo/Eric Risberg Green Lexus Safety SUV Autonomous Vehicles Videos California transportation gear