Hallmark Lexus quality; looks the part; F Sport front seats; sharp driving dynamics
Artificial engine noise system in hybrid
Australia is one of the top five global markets for the Lexus IS premium compact sedan - so launch of the all-new model puts us under the microscope. Much bolder in the looks department and even better to drive, the all-new Lexus IS challenges the European mainstays in every department.
In fact Lexus pointedly said it benchmarked the German compact sports sedans in terms of interior space and engaging driving dynamics. That’s not to say the all-new Lexus IS has gone ‘soft’ – in fact the opposite is true and Lexus says the IS will always be a sports sedan at heart.
“Hooray” says CarShowroom because the Lexus IS has always been one of our favourites.
Lexus IS Overview
Launching the all-new third generation IS range, Lexus Australia has simplified the model lineup – the previous entry-level ‘Prestige’ model is now called ‘Luxury’ and is available with all three engines (IS 250, IS 300h and IS 350).
F Sport is also available with all three powerplants while the range-topping ‘Sports Luxury’ is exclusively petrol-powered (IS 250 and IS 350).
‘Enhancement Packs’ ranging from $2,500 to $14,500 add extras like Active Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitor, Pre-Collision Safety System, Lane Departure Warning, Electric Rear Sunshade and up-scale audio.
Here’s how the lineup looks:
IS 250
Luxury $55,900
F Sport $64,900
Sports Luxury $77,900
IS 300h
Luxury $58,900
F Sport $67,900
IS 350
Luxury $65,000
F Sport $73,000
Sports Luxury $84,000
Lexus IS Engine
A little surprisingly, the all-new Lexus IS lineup arrives with mostly unchanged powerplants.
IS 250 runs the 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine with 153kW/252Nm driving through a six-speed automatic transmission. Fuel consumption (combined cycle) is rated at 9.2l/100kms.
IS 350 scores the 233kW/378Nm 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine but steps-up to a new eight-speed automatic transmission. Combined cycle fuel consumption scores 9.7l/100kms.
Lexus IS 300h runs the combined 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle four-cylinder petrol hybrid engine with 164kW (combined) and 221Nm (petrol only). Drive is via a CVT automatic with six-step manual mode and combined cycle fuel consumption of 4.9l/100kms.
Lexus IS The Interior
According to Junichi Furuyama, the IS chief engineer who visited Australia to see his new model launched, one of the keys for development of the all-new model was enhanced rear seat space. Well Lexus has delivered and the all-new IS provides 170mm of rear seat knee space – Lexus says that’s 34mm more than the Audi A4, 57mm more than the BMW 3 Series and 64mm more than the Mercedes-Benz C-Class – and an extra 10.5mm of head-room.
In the IS 300h, relocating the hybrid battery to under the boot floor means it is now the first hybrid vehicle to offer a 60:40 split-fold rear seat. In fact extra luggage space was another of Furuyama-san’s priorities and, with 480-litres, the IS petrol models are 20 per-cent upon their predecessors, while 450-litres for the IS 300h is 10 per-cent improvement. Lexus says that’s enough to fit three full-size golf bags with clubs.
The dashboard is all-new with a curved instrument binnacle and a flat, layered look for the audio and seven-inch satellite navigation screens. Audio choice is a 299W, eight-speaker Pioneer system or a 835W 15-speaker Mark Levinson system. Lexus IS has the segment’s first standard fitment of DAB+ radios.
F Sport models were our ‘fav’ with excellent new-design sports front seats (heated and ventilated) finished in dimpled leather (we like the new ‘Dark Rose’ interior colour). F Sport also delivers alloy pedals and door sills.
But the big news in Lexus IS F Sport is the instrument cluster – and eight-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) LCD display with different colours and a Range Rover-like moveable function which slides the meter ring to reveal a multimedia menu (just like the Lexus LFA supercar actually).
Lexus IS Exterior & Styling
The third generation Lexus IS range ramps-up the looks with a much crisper styling job. It’s evolutionary for sure, but check-out the rear – that ‘stepped’ bootlid and angled rear lights are both sporty and downright aggressive.
Size is up slightly – overall length by 75mm and Lexus says most of that is in the wheelbase for enhanced interior and luggage space.
Aero also copped plenty of attention and the result is a drag Cd down to 0.28 (petrol) or 0.27 (hybrid). Underneath there are no less than eight aero fins to help direct air.
Naturally the current Lexus ‘Spindle’ grille arrives for the IS (now the fifth Lexus so-equipped). And naturally there’s abundant excellence – for example laser brazing of the sides to the roof delivers a clean look without the need for rain gutters. At the rear, hemmed wheel arch flares allow a smaller gap (down from 20mm to 11mm) between the tyres and wheel arch – resulting in a more sporty look.
At the front, the aluminium bonnet receives more flaring (and it’s pedestrian-friendly, popping-up by 70mm at the rear in impacts to soften the blow) and the joining of the front bumper, guards and headlights is gloriously sophisticated. Under the headlights, the separate ‘L-shaped’ LED DRLs are wonderfully stylish.
And this time, the sporty F Sport models get greater differentiation with a much more aggressive look including a unique twist on the ‘Spindle’ grille, a unique front bumper and sculpturing for the air-vents. There are also handsome ‘Y-Spoke’ 18-inch alloy wheels which are reminiscent of the Lexus LFA supercar (IS 300h runs 17-inch alloys).
Lexus IS On The Road
Pleasingly, there’s no easy days at a Lexus media launch – lots of seat time gets our vote every day. On a full day around Melbourne we drove IS 250 and IS 300h on-road and enjoyed some scintillating high speed laps around the Phillip Island race circuit in the IS 350.
So let’s start at ‘The Island’. Give us that legendary circuit, a powerful sports sedan on 18-inch wheels, active variable sports suspension, drive to the rear wheels via an eight-speed transmission with paddle-shifters, those driver-select drive modes and we’re happy campers.
With rally aces Neale and Rick Bates on hand to guide us, we progressed through a previous generation IS 350 F Sport and various chassis settings before getting to the ultimate ‘Sport S +’ mode. The bottom line: noticeably better high-speed chassis dynamics with both front and rear-ends delivering serious performance.
In fact Lexus has stiffened the rigidity and anti-roll but decreased the spring rate. And the rear suspension is a new multi-link design with forged aluminium upper and lower arms.
In the hills up to Kinglake, the Lexus IS 250 gave a good account with a racy exhaust note under heavy load and firm/precise suspension just like the Europeans. And don’t think the six-speed auto is a backward step – paddle shifters and smart calibration from the Lexus engineers means to entry-grade IS is mighty fine in the twisty stuff.
The hybrid IS 300h runs 17-inch alloy wheels to 18s for the others, so its ride was just a smidge more compliant. Underneath, the 2.5-litre petrol/hybrid drive system shares much with the hybrid Camry – that means available pure electric driving at low speeds and of course that handy 4.9l/100kms fuel consumption.
Sure the CVT lacked the slickness of the six or eight-speeder in the IS 250 and IS 350…but that’s missing the point here – this is a hybrid and that is the Lexus way of catering to those with a passion for reduced fuel consumption (Lexus is currently ‘diesel-free’).
Lexus IS Challenges
‘Active Sound Control’ is Lexus-speak for a customizable electronic noise system for the IS 300h designed to mimic petrol-engine sounds under acceleration and braking. Not surprisingly it sounds…erm, artificial. Luckily you can turn it off.
Lexus IS Verdict
The Lexus we’d choose comes down to a coin toss - IS or GS. It would definitely be a 350 F Sport and we’re leaning slightly towards the all-new IS because its slightly smaller size and lower weight means just a tad more sharpness and precision in the driving dynamics.
We like the slightly increased rear-seat legroom and the eight-speed automatic transmission is a pearler.
And we certainly like the looks of the F Sport model – that aggressive front end and sporty rear is Lexus’ best work to-date.
Lots of car companies talk about ‘constant improvement’…no question Lexus delivers. Good as the previous IS was, the all-new models are better. And they’re very sharply priced.
Lexus IS The Competition
That car industry term ‘Spec Adjusted’ (prices adjusted to compare cars with identical specifications) came to the fore again at the Lexus IS media launch.
Of course the IS goes head-to head with various versions of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C Class. And Lexus says when you equip the Germans with the features included in the IS models, the cash register keeps clicking and Lexus becomes a hands-down winner for value-for-money.
The good question is driving dynamics. On that front, the previous generation Lexus IS made substantial progress and, particularly in F Sport guise, was a genuine rival to the Germans.
Yep, the all-new IS advances driving dynamics even further – enough to throw a spanner in the works of the Germans.
As always, do your homework to ensure you’re comparing like with like.
Lexus also says, while the Germans don’t offer a hybrid model, even when compared to the various diesel powerplants, the IS 300h also stacks-up more than competitively for fuel consumption and hence running costs.
