LEXUS has always been synonymous with luxury and refinement and with the new ES300h you get both - and at a realistic price.

This is a car which is designed for smooth, quiet, effortless motoring rather than the sporting, quick-off -the-mark style of many of its executive competitors.

Not that it's lacking when it comes to performance thanks to a powerful 2.5-litre petrol engine working in conjunction with an electric motor.

Together they provide more than enough grunt to propel this Lexus to 62 miles per hour in a very respectable 8.9econds and on to a top speed of 112 mph.

And there are no range anxiety worries of searching for the nearest charging point as it's a full hybrid, with the engine charging the battery.

The ES 300h is a large car by any standards and that translates into generous useable space allowing passengers in both the front and rear to really stretch out.

Rear seat leg room is particularly good thanks to the space beneath the front seats, and those in the back can independently adjust the rake of their seats at the touch of a button, as well as control the temperature in their sector of the car.

Full leather seats with plenty of side support make long journeys a doddle and those in the front - which come with memory settings - can be cooled or heated depending on the time of year.

Other features which impress on this executive saloon include a glass tilt and slide sun roof, a heated steering wheel, a Mark Levinson sound system and blinds on the rear side windows and rear screen.

Get behind the steering wheel and you have a choice of three driving modes - sport, normal and eco - and as you fasten your seat belt the seat and wheel move to your pre-set position.

On the road the ES300h works out the best combination of power supply for your needs to ensure the optimum fuel consumption/power delivery, slipping seamlessly between engine and electric power or a combination of both. You can also lock in pure electric-only for towns and cities.

But whatever its power source at any given time the cabin is always impressively Lexus quiet.

There's a six-speed auto box with paddles behind the wheel for you to take manual control when you want to press on with urgency.

And when you do you'll find this big car irons out the bends thanks to one of the most compliant rides I have come across. There's no body roll, no drama it just takes it all in its stride.

Reversing too is made simple thanks an ultra sharp reversing camera which give both a view of the rear and a bird's eye view on a large central display screen.

Other onboard features are accessed using the screen via a laptop-style touch pad near the gear shift.