Lexus axes another petrol model variant in Australia

The Lexus ES range is going hybrid-only in Australia.

Following the axing of petrol-powered variants of the UX small SUV earlier this year, Lexus Australia has now dropped the ES250 mid-sized sedan.

This was a petrol-powered counterpart to the ES300h hybrid introduced to Australia in 2021.

It was the only petrol-powered ES variant offered in Australia, with the V6-powered ES350 off-limits to our market despite the previous-generation ES offering V6 power here.

Year-to-date, the ES250 accounted for just 10 per cent of total ES sales.

Lexus Australia said when it announced the ES250 that it would add incremental sales volume to the ES lineup.

Its axing means the base price of the ES is now higher. The range now opens with the ES300h Luxury at $65,540 before on-road costs, $3400 more than the defunct ES250 Luxury.

The ES250 was offered only in Luxury and F Sport guises, with just the ES300h available in range-topping Sports Luxury guise.

“Lexus has always said our customers will inform us when they are ready to make the switch from petrol to either hybrid or fully electric,” said Lexus Australia boss John Pappas.

“Our Lexus ES customers are now telling us they are ready, and we’re listening, as nine out of every 10 deliveries of ES so far this year feature an intelligent hybrid powertrain.”

Lexus Australia says that thus far this year, vehicles with either an electric, plug-in hybrid or hybrid powertrain are accounting for 74.5 per cent of its total sales – keeping it on track for these powertrains to account for 100 per cent of its sales by 2030.

“In 2022 were were just under 50 per cent total electrified volume, in 2023 we were just over 60 per cent, and we’re tracking at 75 per cent, so we’re making that transition nicely,” a Lexus Australia spokesperson told CarExpert in November.

While the UX, LM people mover and now the ES are hybrid-only, Lexus still offers both petrol and hybrid versions of its NX and RX SUVs, the LS limousine and the LC sports car.

The LBX light SUV launched as a hybrid-only model, but is gaining a hot petrol-powered Morizo RR edition in 2025.

The GX and LX off-road SUVs are presently available only with petrol or diesel powertrains, but a hybrid version of the latter was revealed in October and Lexus Australia says it “will be considered” for our market.

Lexus has been more gradual in its removal of petrol-powered models than parent company Toyota’s namesake brand.

Over the past 12 months, Toyota Australia has axed petrol versions of the Yaris, Corolla, Camry, C-HR, RAV4 and Kluger, citing “consumer demand”.

Buyers of these models often disproportionately preferred the hybrid powertrains, with the Kluger for example having been sitting at a hybrid takeup rate of over 75 per cent.

MORE: Everything Lexus ES