The first units of the new-generation 2019 Lexus ES 350 mid-size sedans have just come off the production line in Georgetown, Kentucky. Over 150,000 hours of training were provided to Lexus employees at the company’s U.S. facility to assemble the ES model, which included sensory training that enables workers to detect even the slightest abnormalities, such as the width of a human hair.
Lexus began manufacturing the ES model in Kentucky in 2015, following a significant $360 million investment in a new facility located on the Toyota Kentucky campus. Alongside the ES 350, the 800-strong workforce at Lexus is now set to produce the all-new F Sport variant. In 2016, just a year into operations, the Lexus assembly line earned the Platinum Award, sharing this honor with Toyota’s Kyushu 2 plant in Japan, as part of J.D. Power & Associates’ Initial Quality Study. This recognition underscores the brand’s commitment to quality.
Mike Bridge, the assistant general manager for Lexus, remarked on the achievement of producing the ES 350: “Through comprehensive sensory training, our team members utilize their sight, sound, and touch to ensure that the craftsmanship of the vehicle meets the highest standards.” He added that this sensory training is demonstrated in the body welding process, where team members learn to discern gaps as small as 0.3 millimeters—equivalent to the thickness of three sheets of paper—with the aid of gloves.
Susan Elkington, the president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK), stated, “We’ve adopted the all-new Lexus Global Architecture platform.” She further explained, “This platform enables our Kentucky team to create a vehicle that is longer, lower, and wider than its predecessor, with its wheels positioned closer to the corners.”
The 2019 Lexus ES 350 is expected to be available in showrooms by September. The base price for the Lexus ES 350 starts at $39,500, while the F Sport version begins at $44,035.
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