Lexus ES

Toyota and Lexus Australia have put sales of various hybrid models on hold over an issue related to the regenerative braking system. “At this stage the Toyota vehicles affected are Camry, Corolla Hatch, RAV4 and Prius. For Lexus the models affected are Lexus ES and UX,” the company said in a statement. “Toyota has identified that brake-related parts may require inspection and has therefore ordered a sales stop of selected vehicles.”

Lexus Australia has continued its growth this past month, setting an all-time sales record for the month of January with 705 registrations. The result is a 15.8 per cent improvement on January 2018's figure of 609 units, largely bolstered by the introduction of the all-new UX baby crossover (pictured above), which added 116 units. Of the 705 Lexus vehicles registered during January, a whopping 568 were from the company's SUV lines.

Lexus has unveiled its new mid-size ES sedan in a single image, ahead of a full reveal at the 2018 Beijing motor show next week. Described as "more than just a pretty face" in press materials, the ES runs with the Lexus Spindle Grille up front, flanked by headlights similar to those of the bigger LS sedan. The grille itself is a bit more restrained than on some other Lexus offerings, although there's no mistaking it for anything else.