Lexus ES Returning to Australia

There is absolutely no market for the ES in mainland Europe.

Why ?

Lexus' core markets in Europe are Russia followed by the UK. The ES is sold in Russia as far as I know and is quite popular there. That's about all that speaks for the "success" of the ES in Europe. The positioning of the ES in other European markets will be a problem in my opinion. For one, Lexus still pretty much lacks any badge appeal in these markets. Second, a car slotted in between the IS and GS can make sense, but not really in Europe where one can get better deals on a 5er, A6 or E class with more engine options and features etc. If the ES were sold in other European markets, it would most likely be lumped together with cars like the Honda Legend, Hyundai Grandeur and the V6 models of the Renault Laguna and Citroen C6 and Peugeot 508 - near premium cars. I am also basing my opinion on the failure of the Toyota Camry in Europe a decade ago. It flopped big time. Buyers went for the smaller, but equally spacious, Avensis instead. Lexus is properly served with the IS and GS in the European markets. They just need to offer more engine and trim choices and different body styles.

First of all: What's Camry go to with the ES? The ES is a premium sedan and it's beautiful, then the 2013 model is based on the Avalon, (and aniway the Camry has been sold in EU much more than a decade ago,  it was in the early 90's), Second:  E Class, 5er and Audi A6 costs two times the ES, 3rd: Citroen C6, Laguna and Hyundai Grandeur as rivals? You gotta be joking, i'm sorry bud but you don't know anything about cars, your opinions sounds very random to me...

The Camry flopped in Europe because it was the wrong car for the wrong market. I can see the SAME holding true for the Lexus ES. The IS and GS are good enough for Lexus in Europe. Read my post again. I said the IS and GS need more engine options, body styles and trims. And I've seen European magazines list the Honda Legend, Citroen C5 etc. as being competitors to the Lexus GS. Yes, the GS. If this is done because of pricing or branding, I am not sure, but I've seen this. Look it up in a magazine called "Auto Monat".

The last Camry sold in Europe was the XV30. And that one was built up to 2006 model year. So nothing "early90s" about Camry in Europe.

By the way: If you consider the ES a cheap car just because is based on the Avalon what we should say about the Audi A4 wich is an overpriced Skoda-VW? But nobody has complain about that (and europeans knows very well the entire VAG line up with Skoda, Seat and VW) so who can find a cheap car the ES? It's exactly because Lexus is less famous in EU that you can sell well the ES, nobody know the Avalon and nobody know the fact that the ES is based on a Toyota. Get the facts right bud.

Acutally a lot of people knows the ES is based on a Toyota. It's kinda hard to ignore since Lexus keeps saying that it's based on the Camry (old generation) or based on the Avalon (new Generation). You may be corrected that no one in Europe will know that the new ES is based on a Toyota because they do not have the Avalon.

I don't consider the ES to be a cheap car at all. I don't have a problem with platform sharing at all. Platform sharing makes financial sense and there are more than enough ways to differentiate cars that are built on the same platform.

The ES makes a lot of sense, and with the new 2013 IS and 2013 ES even more. IS is a car focused for people who are looking for a young, dynamic and sporty car while the ES is a car for people who are looking a comfortable, roomy and elegant car. If we were talking about pricing, they would be priced like the US, being the ES a little bit higher than the IS, but it wouldn't be a competitor of the 3 series, C class but 5 series and E class. This car could be a great success for the European market if they knew how to market it correctly.

You're american and you think you know this?! European

The ES is more expensive than the IS in every market it's sold in, sometimes by a significant margin (in South Korea, the ES is ~30% more expensive than the IS). Most Europeans aren't willing to pay a premium for a worse handling car with worse gas mileage.

The ES has better better MPG than IS250

Nope, try again. The old 2012 IS 220d/250 get better or equal mileage than the new ES350 (both petrol versions get 24 mpg on the US cycle, and the diesel gets 50.4 mpg vs 31 mpg on the Euro cycle).  Expect mileage gains with the new petrol IS 250.

The ES even being priced lower than the 5 Series, E Class is still one of their competitors in China and the US. In the US the overprice is just about $1000. ES300h has an incredible MPG, it's roomy, comfortable and good looking. People who don't want the IS because it's way too sporty, small or cannot afford an GS but still want a nice car, they can have the ES.

I would also love to see the ES in Europe.

An ES wagon only for the European market is not cost effective. Europe is the last and smallest market of Lexus, developing one particular model for a niche market is not profitable.

Yes I understand that but at least one wagon would be great in the Lexus range.

Great! That's what Lexus needs!