By Otsile Kadiege

The updated Lexus IS has arrived in South Africa. The luxury arm of Toyota promises an evocative design, new technology and leading driving dynamics.

Updated exterior design

Up front, the updated Lexus IS has a low and wide stance, it gets slimmer headlights (high-grade LED headlamps are standard on the F Sport), and a signature spindle grille. The side profile features a gently slopped roof line, muscular rear fenders, which gives the IS an aggressive look and standard 18-inch wheels. The F Sport IS gets 19-inch alloy wheels, F Sport body kit, F Sport scuff plates and ornamentation to list a few. A moon roof is standard on the SE range.

A prominent change to the rear includes a single-blade rear combination lights sporting an “L” motif. In total the new Lexus IS has 10 exterior colours to choose from. Three of those colours – Solar Storm Red, Poseidon Blue and White Nova are exclusive to the F Sport. The EX and SE have an additional two exclusive colours – White Quartz and Morello Red.

Updated interior design and technology

Noticeable changes to the interior are the new 10.3-inch touch-display (moved 150mm forward for easier reach) with an infotainment system featuring Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and an electric park brake. The EX derivative gets a 10-speaker audio system whilst the SE and F Sport get a premium 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system.

Active safety technology

The SE and F Sport derivatives get the new Lexus Safety System+ as standard. It supports pre-collision warning, pre-collision brake assist and pre-collision braking. These systems are designed to work with both daytime and night-time pedestrian detection and daytime cyclist detection.

Performance and driving dynamics

Lexus South Africa has decided to launch the IS as a hybrid-only model namely, the IS 300h EX, IS 300h SE and IS 300h F Sport.  The IS boasts a petrol-hybrid 2.5 litre CVT engine that achieves a maximum power of 133kW and maximum torque of 221Nm. The IS 300h achieves a total system output of 164kW. Total torque figure is yet to be confirmed. It will sprint from 0-100 km/h in 8.7 seconds and has a top speed of 200 km/h.

The IS F Sport features five-mode Drive Select (Eco, Normal, Sport S, Sport S+ and Custom) and Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS).

Substantial chassis changes include a 45mm-wider front and 50mm-wider rear track for greater vehicle turn-in and stability. Body rigidity has been improved, including the addition of bracing connecting the front-pillar section and apron member, contributing to the enhanced steering response and cornering ability.

The updated IS is equipped with an advanced weight-reducing double-wishbone front suspension, which now features lighter and stronger components and a multi-link rear suspension.

Pricing, warranty and availability

Pricing for the new Lexus IS range is as follows:

• R841,300 for the EX grade;
• R899,800 for the SE grade; and
• R916 100,for the F Sport.

The IS range boasts a best-in-class 7-year/105,000km Warranty and Full Maintenance Plan. The new IS will be available to pre-order from the first week of April from Lexus dealerships.