Lexus says engineers debated shock absorbers until the very end of ES development. The fight centered on balancing comfort with road feel and driver connection. New body structure and rear multi-link suspension underpin the sedan’s ride improvements. It’s easy to think that during development of a new car that engineers and designers would argue most over styling, powertrains, or whether buyers want one option or another. While speaking with Lexus ES chief engineer Kohei Chiashi during the new ES first-drive launch event, we learned the fiercest internal debate centered on something far less glamorous: shock absorbers. Not batteries. Not horsepower. Not giant touchscreens. Dampers. When we asked Chiashi what tuning decision created the most debate during development of the all-new ES, his answer was immediate. “We discussed shock absorbers until the very end,” he told us. “We have to offer good road feel, but balance it between comfort and connection. We went back and forth with the dampers about where to set them in the final car.” Read: Lexus ES Chief Engineer Is ‘Not Happy’ About SUVs Taking Over That answer says a lot about Lexus’ priorities. The ES has never tried to be a sports sedan. Instead, it’s always revolved around comfort, refinement, and making long drives seem effortless. Earlier during our conversation, Chiashi described modern Lexus driving character as creating a car that responds naturally to driver inputs while ensuring that after hundreds of miles, “nobody in the car should be tired.” Naturally, suspension tuning becomes a balancing act. Too soft, and the car feels disconnected. Too firm and you start introducing fatigue, harshness, and unnecessary road impacts into the cabin. A Stiffer Body Did The Heavy Lifting Lexus Interestingly, Chiashi also told us the single biggest improvement to ride quality came from the ES’s new body structure. According to him, the more rigid platform created a stronger foundation for improvements in ride, noise isolation, and vibration control. Lexus also switched to a multi-link rear suspension setup, improving not only comfort but straight-line stability as well. Perhaps earlier in the development process, the team argued over things that couldn’t be changed late in the game. Regardless, it’s interesting to know that Lexus debated the damper tuning right up until the pre-production cars rolled off the line. Lexus
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