2017 Lexus ES300h review, test drive

Always fancied a Lexus sedan? The likeable ES 300h could be the car you’ve been waiting for.

Published on May 09, 2017 07:03:00 PM

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Should I buy one?

The ES 300h is expensive and will remain so until Lexus starts local assembly some time down the line. Its strengths lie in its relaxing persona, efficient powertrain (the official ARAI figure is 17.8kpl) and the fact that it’s got a degree of novelty that many luxury buyers want from their Rs 50 lakh plus cars. And you need not worry about the Camry connect, really. Still, if you look at the tangibles, the ES isn't quite up there with European luxury sedans in the same price band.

But the Lexus experience, we have been promised, is not going to be about only what you can see and feel. Lexus cars are renowned the world over for reliability and a relatively low cost of ownership and these are aspects that count for a lot in India, even high up the pecking order. Lexus has a small footprint in India (there are dealers in Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon and Bengaluru) for the moment, but buyers (Lexus calls them guests of the brand), we are told, can expect a far more personalised buying experience than what they may be used to from the competition.

As things stand, Lexus, and the ES 300h in particular, already has a ready market, comprising satisfied Toyota Fortuner and Innova owners looking for an upgrade. If the brand lives up to the promised experience, positive word of mouth publicity could help steal buyers away from German luxury sedans too.

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