2026 Lexus ES Interior Review: Hybrid and EV Models Bring Lexus Into the Modern Era

The Lexus ES’ cabin has never struggled to make a good first impression. Even in the outgoing model, the sedan’s interior was welcoming in the ways Lexus buyers expect: quiet, comfortable, carefully finished, and trimmed with enough leather, wood, and metal-look detailing to feel properly upscale. The ES was never trying to be the sportiest or flashiest luxury sedan, but as a calm place to spend time, it understood the assignment.

Where the previous-generation car stumbled was in how occupants interacted with it. Lexus’ touchpad infotainment controller demanded too much attention, common functions could feel buried, and some secondary controls were "simplified” in ways that did not always make them easier to use. The materials and comfort remained, but the technology contrasted with the ES’ low-stress personality.

For 2026, Lexus has rethought the ES around a much larger body and a split hybrid/EV lineup. The result has a cabin that is more minimal, more digital, and more spacious in key ways, although the added exterior size does not translate into more room everywhere.

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More (and Less) Room

The 2026 ES cabin still has room for five adults, now wrapped in a much larger sedan. Compared with the previous model, exterior dimensions grow by 6.5 inches in length, 2.2 inches in width, and 4.5 inches in height. That added height gives the ES a tall, almost crossover-like profile for a midsize luxury sedan, but more exterior size doesn’t necessarily mean more passenger space.

Interior dimensions are identical between hybrid and EV models. Versus the old car, front headroom improves by 0.8 inch, and the already generous rear legroom grows by 1.5 inches. Rear headroom is unchanged, and front legroom actually decreases slightly, dropping by 0.5 inch. In other words, the new ES feels airy and spacious, but not every inch of its larger footprint shows up on the spec sheet.

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Colors and Materials

The new ES keeps its cabin style simple. Premium and Premium+ models use perforated NuLuxe synthetic leather, while the top Luxury grades of the EV models upgrade to semi-aniline leather. Across the lineup, interior color choices are limited to White, Black, and Palomino, a warm tan shade.

Trim choices vary by powertrain and grade. The ES350h gets geometric checkered accents, while the ES350e and ES500e use checkered trim on Premium models and layered bamboo trim on Luxury versions. Ambient lighting is standard and customizable in 64 colors; on the top ES500e, it is incorporated into the layered bamboo for a sophisticated look.

The redesigned dash also changes how the cabin feels to use. Physical controls have been pared down significantly, with a rubbery soft-touch horizontal panel for backlit temperature, defroster, and defogger controls. Lexus also adds a soft, fuzzy material around the gauge display, a small but noticeable touch that gives the more digital cabin some warmth.

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Improved Touchscreen and Tech

This ES debuts Lexus’ next-generation infotainment system, officially called the Enhanced Lexus Interface Multimedia Experience. It runs through a standard 14.0-inch central touchscreen—the previous standard screen measured 8.0 inches, with a 12.3-inch display available as an upgrade—with sharper graphics, more intuitive icons, and a more configurable layout. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto continue to be supported, and movable widgets let drivers tailor the home screen while a fixed Quick Control Menu remains in the upper-right corner for frequently used functions such as Bluetooth.

Voice control also expands, responding to “Hey,” “Hi,” or “OK Lexus” wake commands, with selectable male or female voices. The assistant can adjust audio settings, provide range estimates, and help find menu functions; in the four different ES models we drove, “Hey Lexus, how do I connect my phone?” got us up and running lickety-split. Navigation information can also move beyond the central screen, with maps and turn-by-turn directions appearing in the 12.3-inch driver display.

The Lexus app adds digital key and remote-control functions, and EV models can use it to manage charging schedules and charge limits. A new standard Drive Recorder feature works like a built-in dashcam, automatically saving up to 90 one-minute clips or recording manually. Drive Connect is still subscription-based and adds features such as real-time traffic, live-agent help, EV route planning, and charge-management tools.

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Rethought Controls

As we alluded to earlier, Lexus has given the ES’ switchgear a major rethink, taking a more minimal, almost Tesla-style approach to the cabin. Some controls have moved into the touchscreen, while others have been simplified or consolidated. The new steering wheel, for example, has a single thumb toggle on the left for both volume and track skipping, and the old volume knob has been replaced by a low-profile scroll wheel in the center of the dash.

A stubby, Audi-style electronic shifter replaces the outgoing model’s conventional lever, and the sunroof shade switch has moved to the ceiling. The paddle shifters also serve different purposes depending on the powertrain: In the hybrid, they simulate gear shifts, while in the EV, they adjust regenerative braking force. A wireless phone charger is standard on all models.

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Luxury Execution

Lexus hasn’t forgotten the basics in its push toward a more modern ES cabin. Both hybrid and EV models come standard with heated and ventilated power front seats, driver’s seat memory, a power tilting and telescoping steering column, active noise control, and a heated steering wheel now dressed up with a “LEXUS” wordmark across the airbag cover. As before, seat comfort remains one of the ES’ strongest interior traits.

Audio choices include a 10-speaker Lexus Premium Audio system or an available 17-speaker Mark Levinson surround sound setup. The EV side of the lineup gets some of the richest extras, including an available driver’s seat cushion extender on the ES350e Luxury. The top EV Luxury trim goes further with standard soft-close doors, perforated semi-aniline leather, a power rear sunshade, manual rear door sunshades, and a head-up display.

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More Upgrades

Our favorite add-on is the Rear Seat Executive package, available on the ES350e Luxury grade. It turns the back seat into the most indulgent part of the car, adding rear-seat massage, multi-zone climate control with a rear-seat controller, heated and ventilated rear seats, pillow-type rear headrests, and two 15-watt USB-C ports in the center console. The package also includes power-adjustable rear seats, with an ottoman for the passenger-side rear seat.

Other options are more practical. The Cold Area package is available across the lineup and adds a front-seat radiant knee heater, windshield wiper deicer, and headlamp washers. On the ES500e, dual wireless phone chargers are also available.

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More Modern, Still Comfort-First

The 2026 Lexus ES interior improves where the old cabin most needed help. It keeps the comfort, quietness, and welcoming feel Lexus buyers expect but adds a cleaner layout, a standard 14.0-inch touchscreen, sharper graphics, better voice control, and a more modern interface.

Not every change is perfect. Some physical controls have moved into the screen, and the new simplified switchgear may take some getting used to. Still, with improved tech, strong seat comfort, useful luxury features, and available upgrades such as the Rear Seat Executive package, the new ES cabin feels more contemporary without losing its calm, comfort-first character.