Lexus has chosen its mid-size saloon the Lexus ES 300h, to launch its world premiere of digital side-view mirrors, an innovative system that allows the replacement of traditional mirrors with high-resolution compact digital cameras that transmit images of the exterior in real-time to some monitors located inside the vehicle.
Although Lexus is not the first car brand to introduce these digital mirrors the first was Audi with the virtual mirrors of the electric e-Tron the system devised by the Japanese brand could approach the definitive solution that other car manufacturers will end up applying. in the future. We have tested the Lexus ES 300h in Madrid with digital mirrors and it seemed to us that we could get used to them in a few hours or at most a couple of days.
At the same level as traditional mirrorsUnlike the virtual mirrors of the Audi e-Tron, called Audi Virtual Mirrors, those of Lexus is not hidden in the interior part of the front doors (on the handles or handles), but are two independent monitors located on the base of the front pillars, right at the height of the mirrors, so that you do not have to lower your head or look down because they are at the same height as conventional mirrors. Lexus says they are in line with the driver’s intuitive vision, avoiding substantially changing the natural motion to check the mirrors.
The cameras are housed in aerodynamic housings that are thinner and smaller than normal rear-view mirrors thus reducing wind noise and we found them to stick out less than Audi virtual mirrors. Also, the cameras have built-in heaters to prevent ice or mist from forming and are positioned so that they cannot be covered by drops of water or snowflakes. They are also equipped with a brightness sensor that reduces glare from the headlights of the vehicles behind at night.
Wide-angle and better visibility in the rain when the driver activates the turn signals or selects reverse gear the digital mirrors expand vision like a wide-angle camera lens, eliminating blind spots and helping to maneuver more safely. Once the turning, lane change, or parking maneuver is completed, the system automatically returns to the standard settings.
You can switch to enlarged view manually or disable the function. Only with Luxury D-View finishFor now, the new digital mirrors are only available on the Lexus ES 300h with a Luxury D-View finish, one of the two finishes that the hybrid saloon has just released and which becomes the new top-of-the-range version of the model. The other finish introduced by Lexus is the Premium, which becomes the second in the range after the basic Eco and before the F Sport, which completes the range of options.
In addition to the digital mirrors, the Lexus ES 300h also incorporates safety systems seen in models of the upper segment LS 500h and LC 500h and a completely new chassis that has allowed the redesign of the body and improved driving performance. This new style is made possible by the use of a completely new platform, Global Architecture K (GA-K) which offers a sportier and more emotional driving experience.
Premium finishThe Premium finish, meanwhile, incorporates the Lexus Safety System as standard, a 12.3-inch multimedia screen with navigator, blind spot detection system, and rear traffic brake and alert assistant. It is also equipped with a heated steering wheel, a sensor in the front window that modifies the speed of the windscreen according to the intensity of the rain, and a windscreen de-icer to remove ice from the glass.
Also, the new Lexus ES 300h is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for smartphones which allow the use of applications such as Spotify, Apple Music, and WhatsApp, and Google Maps, or Waze browsers. Prices and finishes of the Lexus ES 300h 2021
