A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance,
fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.
ES has a modest catalogue-index lead, while X55 Plus remains close.
X55 Plus starts ZAR 421,600 cheaperES from ZAR 851,500 · X55 Plus from ZAR 429,900
Five key differences
Exact selected derivatives
Swipe sideways to compare every column
Specification
ES
X55 Plus
Maximum Power
ES160 kW @ 5700 rpm
X55 Plus138 kW
Maximum Torque
ES221 Nm
X55 Plus305 Nm
Engine Size
ES2500 cc
X55 Plus1498 cc
Combined Fuel Economy
ES21.7 km/l
X55 Plus12.99 km/l
Ground Clearance
ES158 mm
X55 PlusNot Officially Disclosed
Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.
Independent editorial assessment
Hagalu editorial ratings
When a variant is selected, its rating out of five applies only to that exact derivative; a model-range review is not inherited. Editorial ratings are separate from the Specification Evidence Index out of 100 and are not customer ratings.
Lexus ES
ES 300h SE
Hagalu editorial ratingNot yet rated
No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.
Not yet rated means a complete review is not published; it does not mean the vehicle scored zero. Read the rating methodology.
What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)
Specification evidence leader
ES
Strengths
Better fuel efficiency
Stronger listed safety equipment
Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
Less powerful engine setup
Best suited to:Published EfficiencyPublished Practicality
X55 Plus
Strengths
More powerful engine output
Weak Spots
Lower fuel efficiency
Fewer listed safety features
Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to:Published Performance
Which One's Right for You?
ES
Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures
X55 Plus
Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
Full Specs, Side by Side
Open a category, then swipe sideways to compare every column
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
Model Introduced Year
2021
2024
Generation
Current seventh-generation Lexus ES executive sedan
Current upgraded X55 Plus generation for South Africa, mechanically based around BAIC's Magic Core 1.5T engine, DCT380 seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and front-wheel drive.
Facelift History
Current South African ES range; the next-generation local range has not yet received final derivative confirmation
The original X55 arrived locally in 2022. BAIC launched the upgraded X55 Plus in August 2024 with revised exterior details, a full-black interior, updated wheel and exhaust treatment, and additional connectivity features.
Facelift Launched Since
Current South African ES range; the next-generation local range has not yet received final derivative confirmation
2024
Facelift Version Ending
Current South African specification checked 2026-07-17
Current
Body Style
Sedan
Five-door compact SUV
Model Year
2026
2024
Production Status
published
active
Segment
Executive sedan
Compact SUV
Tare Mass Kg
1740 kg
-
Vehicle Type
Sedan
SUV
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
Length
4975 mm
4620 mm
Width
1865 mm
1886 mm
Height
1445 mm
1680 mm
Wheelbase
2870 mm
2735 mm
Ground Clearance (Default)
158 mm
Not Officially Disclosed
Fuel Tank Capacity
50 l
53 l
Boot/Cargo Space
454 l
350 l
Kerb Weight
1740 kg
1480 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
2150 kg
1970 kg
Payload Capacity
410 kg
490 kg
Seating Capacity
5 seats
5 seats
Doors
4 doors
5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius
5.9 m
Not Officially Disclosed
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load)
-
160 mm
Towing Capacity
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Number of Rows
-
2 rows
Front Headroom
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Rear Headroom
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Front Legroom
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Rear Legroom
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
Load Bed Length
Not Applicable
-
Load Bed Width
Not Applicable
-
Climate Control
Auto 3-Zone,Humidity Sensor
Air conditioning
Keyless Entry
Standard Smart Entry
Standard
Push Button Start
Push Start
Standard
Wireless Charging
Standard
Not Available
Sunroof
Moonroof,Tilt & Slide
Not Available
Rain Sensing Wipers
Standard
Standard
AC Type
Auto 3-Zone,Humidity Sensor
Air conditioning
Heads Up Display
Standard
-
Air Conditioning
Auto 3-Zone,Humidity Sensor
Air conditioning
Loadbox Length Mm
Not Applicable
-
Loadbox Width Mm
Not Applicable
-
Power Windows
-
Standard
Electric Tailgate
-
Not Available
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
Engine
2.5-litre Naturally Aspirated Petrol Hybrid
1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine
Engine Code
Not Officially Disclosed
A156T2H
Fuel Type
Hybrid
Petrol
Hybrid System
Self Charging Hybrid
Not Applicable
Engine Displacement
2500 cc
1498 cc
Cylinders
4
4
Cylinder Layout
Inline
Not Officially Disclosed
Valves
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Valves per Cylinder
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Aspiration
Naturally Aspirated
Turbocharged
Fuel System
Petrol Hybrid EFI+D-4S
Not Officially Disclosed
Compression Ratio
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Bore
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Stroke
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Maximum Power
160 kW @ 5700 rpm
138 kW
Maximum Torque
221 Nm
305 Nm
Combined Power
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Combined Torque
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Motor Type
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Number of Motors
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Motor Location
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Drive Type
FWD
FWD
Transmission
e-CVT
7-Speed DCT
Top Speed
180 km/h
200 km/h
0-100 km/h
8.9 sec
7.7 sec
Quarter Mile
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Drive Modes
Not Officially Disclosed
Eco, Sport, Comfort, Smart
Launch Control
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Rev Limiter
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Power-to-Weight Ratio
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Torque-to-Weight Ratio
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Battery Capacity
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Usable Battery Capacity
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Battery Type
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Battery Voltage
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Electric Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
AC Charging Power
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
DC Charging Power
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
AC Charging Time
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
DC Charging Time
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Regenerative Braking
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
Gearbox
ECVT
7DCT
Drivetrain Layout
FWD
FWD
Transfer Case
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Paddle Shifters
Standard
Not Officially Disclosed
Number of Gears
Not Applicable
7
Transmission Type
ECVT
7-speed dual-clutch transmission
Gear Shift Type
Automatic
Not Officially Disclosed
Drivetrain
FWD
Front-wheel drive
4WD Engagement
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4WD Hi Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4WD Lo Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4WD Selector
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Automatic Shift Paddles
Standard
Not Officially Disclosed
Front Differential Lock
Not Applicable
Not Officially Disclosed
Gearbox Type
ECVT
Dual-clutch
Low Range Ratio
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Low Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Axle Layout
FWD
Front-wheel drive
Rear Differential Lock
Not Applicable
Not Officially Disclosed
Transmission Speeds
Not Applicable
7
LSD Available
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Differential Lock
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Final Drive Ratio
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Clutch Type
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Gear Shift Indicator
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
Claimed Mileage
21.7 km/l
12.99 km/l
City Mileage
17.5 km/l
Not Officially Disclosed
Highway Mileage
25.2 km/l
Not Officially Disclosed
Fuel Tank Capacity
50 l
53 l
AdBlue Tank Capacity
Not Applicable
Not Officially Disclosed
Auto Start Stop
Standard
Not Officially Disclosed
Charging Port Type
Not Applicable
Not Officially Disclosed
Charging Type
Not Applicable
Not Officially Disclosed
Fuel Tank Litres
50
53
Combined Driving Range
Not Applicable
Not Officially Disclosed
Electric Consumption
Not Applicable
Not Officially Disclosed
Range Real World Highway
Not Applicable
Not Officially Disclosed
Range Real World Mixed
Not Applicable
Not Officially Disclosed
Emission Standard
-
Euro VI
Real-world Mileage
21.7 km/l
12.99 km/l
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
Airbags
Side,Knee,Curtain,Driver,Passenger
6
ABS
Standard
Standard
Electronic Stability Control
Standard
Standard
Traction Control
Standard,,
Standard
Hill Start Assist
Standard
Standard
Child Safety Lock
Standard Rear door
Standard
ISOFIX Mounts
Standard 2
Standard
Brake Assist
Standard
Standard
Tyre Pressure Monitor
Standard
Standard
Engine Immobiliser
Horn/ Intrusion Sensor
Standard
Alarm System
Horn/ Intrusion Sensor
-
Seatbelt Warning All Seats
Front + Rear/ Buzzer
Standard
Front Parking Sensors
Standard Intelligent Clearance Sonar,Rear Cross Traffic Alert + Braking
Not Available
AEB
Standard
Not Available
BA
Standard
Standard
Curtain Airbags
Standard
Standard
Driver Airbag
Standard
Standard
EBD
Standard
Standard
Engine Immobiliser
Horn/ Intrusion Sensor
Standard
Hill Hold
Standard
Standard
Passenger Airbag
Standard
Standard
Seatbelt Pretensioners
ELR,Pretensioner,Force Limiter,Tension Reducer -
Not Available
Seatbelt Reminder
Front + Rear/ Buzzer
Standard
Side Airbags
Standard
Standard
Stability Control
Standard
Standard
TCS
Standard,,
Standard
Knee Airbag
Standard
Not Officially Disclosed
ABS EBD
Standard
Standard
Anti Theft Alarm
Horn/ Intrusion Sensor
-
Hill Descent Control
-
Standard
Brake Override System
-
Standard
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
Cruise Control
Standard Adaptive,All Speed
Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control
Standard Adaptive,All Speed
Not Available
Lane Keep Assist
Standard Steering Vibration,Lane Trace Assist
Not Available
Lane Departure Warning
Standard Steering Vibration,Lane Trace Assist
Not Available
Blind Spot Monitoring
Standard With Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Not Available
Parking Sensors
Standard Intelligent Clearance Sonar,Rear Cross Traffic Alert + Braking
Standard
Rear View Camera
Display Audio// Panoramic View Monitor
Standard
360 Degree Camera
Display Audio// Panoramic View Monitor
Not Available
Autonomous Emergency Braking
Standard
Not Available
Auto Highbeam
Standard
Not Officially Disclosed
Auto Wipers
Rainsensing,Standard
Standard
Rear Parking Sensors
Standard Intelligent Clearance Sonar,Rear Cross Traffic Alert + Braking
BAIC DA head unit with radio, Bluetooth and smartphone connection
Apple CarPlay
Standard
Standard
Android Auto
Standard
Not Officially Disclosed
Bluetooth Connectivity
Standard
Standard
Number of Speakers
Standard 17
4
Navigation System
Standard/ EMV
-
Digital Instrument Cluster
Standard TFT Colour
10.25-inch LCD instrument screen
USB Ports
Standard 4PCs
Front USB, rear USB and Type-C charging
Infotainment Screen Size
12.3-inch
10.1-inch central touchscreen
Audio Speakers
Standard 17
4
Audio System
Mark Levinson/ DAB,12.3-inch
-
Front Rear USB Charge Ports
Standard 4PCs
-
Infotainment Screen
12.3-inch
10.1-inch central touchscreen
Connected Services
Standard
-
Touchscreen
12.3-inch
10.1-inch central touchscreen
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
LED Headlamps
Standard
Standard
Daytime Running Lamps
Standard LED
Standard
Exterior Colour Options
White Quartz, Sonic Titanium, Graphite Black GF, Opulent Blue, Sonic Chrome, Sonic Iridium
Electric Yellow, Metallic Grey, Scarlet Red, Krypton Grey, Polar White, Turquoise Blue
Headlights
Standard
Standard
Panoramic Sunroof
Not Available
Not Available
Fog Lamps
-
Standard
Roof Rails
-
Not Available
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
Locking Differential
Not Applicable
Not Officially Disclosed
4WD System Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Ground Clearance Max
158 mm
-
Ground Clearance Min
158 mm
-
Approach Angle
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Departure Angle
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Wading Depth
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Terrain Modes
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Breakover Angle
-
Not Officially Disclosed
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
Tyre Size
F:235-45R18 Alloy / R:235-45R18 Alloy
225/60 R18
Front Brake Type
Ventilated Disc
Ventilated disc
Rear Brake Type
Solid
Solid disc
Spare Wheel Type
Space Saver T155-70D17:ST
Space-saver spare wheel
Wheel Rim Size
18
18-inch
Handbrake Type
Electric
Electric parking brake
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
Front Suspension
MacPherson - Strut
MacPherson independent suspension
Rear Suspension
Wishbone - Trailing
Multi-link independent suspension
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
Service Interval
12 months / 15,000km
-
Battery Warranty
8 years / 195,000km
-
Service Plan
-
5 Years / 60 000 km
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
CO2 Emissions
104 g/km
Not Officially Disclosed
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
Ownership Role
Private luxury, family and business
Private buyer ownership with BAIC South Africa warranty and service support
Price Zar
1138800 ZAR
429900 ZAR
Pricing Role
Top
Current ex-showroom price
Starting Price
1138800
429900
Starting Price Zar
1138800
429900
Spec
ES
X55 Plus
Warranty
7 years / 105,000km
5 Years / 150 000 km
In depth: how these cars differ
This ES and X55 Plus comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.
Performance index: ES 58 vs X55 Plus 62.
Efficiency index: ES 85 vs X55 Plus 53.
Safety-equipment index: ES 93 vs X55 Plus 88.
Practicality index: ES 62 vs X55 Plus 55.
Ownership-cover index: ES not separately scored vs X55 Plus not separately scored.
These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.
Model imagery
ES and X55 Plus image comparison
Open an image for its full canonical file or visit the model page for the complete vehicle record.
A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.
Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout
ES leads by 8 points
ES has a modest catalogue-index lead, while X55 Plus remains close.
Performance
X55 Plus +4
Efficiency
ES +32
Safety
ES +5
Practicality
ES +7
Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.
Why this scoreView full breakdown
Evidence-index leader
ES
Performance
58/100
Efficiency
85/100
Safety
93/100
Practicality
62/100
X55 Plus
Performance
62/100
Efficiency
53/100
Safety
88/100
Practicality
55/100
What the evidence means
Evidence indexLexus ES
leads the specification evidence index with 73 pts
vs 65 pts for X55 Plus
In Hagalu's specification evidence index, ES leads. However, X55 Plus may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.
Related comparisons
Continue with closely related South Africa models and comparable body styles.
There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.
Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.
Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.
A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.
Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.
Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.
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