New Lexus is the strong, silent type

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

This is the new Lexus ES 300, to be launched in New Zealand this year. It is longer and taller than the outgoing model and has been styled to suit European tastes. That is why it looks like the Peugeot 607, particularly around the headlights.

The current ES 300 was considered too conservative and never challenged European rivals.

It was unveiled here in 1997 and has been selling at $77,000. But its place as a mid-luxury model was diluted by used imports from Japan.

The new rear-drive ES 300 is expected to cost about $85,000. Toyota New Zealand won't discuss the price - it won't even acknowledge that the ES 300 is on its way.

The car broke cover in America, almost a month before it will be unveiled in Japan. Lexus is the bestselling luxury model in the United States and the company launched the ES 300 there to cash in on the brand's success.

It is well appointed and equipped with up-to-the-minute safety systems, including ABS anti-lock brakes, six airbags and skid and traction control devices.

It is understood to be much quieter to drive than the previous model, thanks to a stronger body and the use of new sound-deadening materials. New engine mounts are said to further reduce vibration at idle.

It will slip through the air with the greatest of ease, too. A flat underbody, reshaped mirrors and other exterior refinements contribute to a claimed 0.28 coefficient of drag, which puts it among the class leaders. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is the slipperiest with a coefficient of 0.26. A 50mm longer wheelbase and a significant increase in height - 1455mm against the outgoing car's 1394mm - will give occupants more head and leg room.

A redesigned unibody with new crush structures and passenger compartment reinforcements makes the car safer, says Lexus. It is also slightly heavier than the outgoing model.

The windscreen A-pillars extend further into the roof and stronger B-pillars and floorpan reinforcements help to bolster body strength.

The ES 300 rides on 16-inch wheels. Lexus says the suspension has been tuned to provide a better ride, and stronger sub-frames provide tighter handling.

The ES 300 will come with an optional variable suspension system which is said to improve ride quality by continuously changing each wheel's shock-absorber damping rate in response to road surface, vehicle speed, driver steering and braking inputs, and even vertical vehicle movement.

The driver can choose between "comfort" and "sport" modes, or an intermediate setting. Improvements to the system yield better steering feel and quicker turn-in response, says the carmaker.

Lexus engineers used the rear-drive IS 300 - the more powerful version of the IS 200 - as a benchmark when sorting out powertrain and chassis refinements for the ES 300. The IS 300 is aimed at sport-oriented drivers and Lexus wanted the ES 300 to have some of the smaller car's characteristics.

The ES 300 comes with high-intensity discharge headlights as an option. The standard headlights have a larger reflector to create a broader beam.

The car will be powered by a reworked version of the all-alloy 3-litre V6, and will produce 155kW at 5800 rpm and 315Nm of torque at 4400 rpm. The engine is mated to a new five-speed electronic automatic transmission.

The ES 300 is expected to be launched here at the same time as the the Lexus SC430, a coupe/convertible that Americans have been buying at the rate of 1000 a month.

The SC430 is powered by a 4.3-litre V8 producing 209kW and 417Nm of torque and mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox. The engine and gearbox are borrowed by the flagship Lexus saloon, the LS 430.

The ES 300 points to what the next Toyota Camry will look like - bigger, roomier and more sophisticated.

The existing ES 300 and Camry are pretty identical twins under the skin and the new ES 300 and Camry will be the same.

The Camry is due to be unveiled in America within the next few weeks. The New Zealand model will go on sale here later next year and be built by Toyota Australia, at its plant in Altona, Victoria.

Like the ES 300, it will come with the Peugeot-inspired headlights. Toyota has a lot of respect for Peugeot. In the early 1990s it used the Peugeot 405 as a ride/handling benchmark for its bestselling Corona.