Drove the Lexus IS 300h this past week. What a truly athletic & good looking car it is.
Starting from R841 300,00 with the IS 300h EX grade and available to pre-order as early as week one of April from Lexus dealerships, the new IS looks set to attract attention from serious car buyers.
Launched for the first time, as a purely- hybrid model, the hybrid market has shown immense growth on a global scale in the past five years and the shift from diesel to alternative-propulsion vehicles is expected to keep growing at rapid rate.
Lexus is perfectly placed to leverage it’s expertise in hybrid technology, and is perfectly placed to leverage it’s expertise in hybrid technology, and launch three IS grades as follows:
IS 300h EX, IS 300h SE and IS 300 F Sport.
Looks.
As I said, many admiring glances came our way in the week with the Lexus IS 300 SE. It is very sporty looking with lots of curves and angles. It comes with 18 inch or 19th inch alloys depending on model.t Features that become standard on the Lexus IS for the first time include 18-inch alloy wheels for the EX and SE (19-inch for the F Sport), an electric park brake (replacing foot-operated), new 10.3-inch touch-display with Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™, a pre-collision system for the SE grade and F Sport featuring daytime/night-time pedestrian detection plus daytime cyclist detection, all-speed active cruise control (SE and F Sport), lane tracing assist (SE and F Sport), blind-spot monitor (SE and F Sport), rear cross-traffic alert+brake, as well as a panoramic view monitor for the SE and F Sport when reversing.
This is an addition to smart entry and start, heated- and power-adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control, 10-speaker audio for the EX grade and 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound for SE and F Sport grades. The top-spec models also come standard with satellite navigation, voice control and LED headlamps with automatic high-beam.
The models achieve a total system output of 164kW. The IS has a combined-cycle fuel consumption from as low as 5.2 litres per 100 kilometres. The 0-100 sprint is dispatched in 8.7 seconds with a top speed of 200 km/h. The IS boasts a petrol-hybrid 2.5 litre CVT engine that achieves a maximum power of 133kW @ 6000rpm and maximum torque of 221Nm @ 4200-5400rpm. This is by no means a performance model, so not much was expected in this regard, it is a cruiser, and on that note, it delivered in spades.
According to Glen Crompton- Marketing VP for Toyota “The hybrid direction and sports focus of the new IS, alongside the luxurious ES, deliver two distinct personalities for Lexus customers to select from in this segment.”
This is further emphasised by single-blade rear combination lights sporting an “L” motif and a sharper overall contour created by the character line around the boot lid.
The interior is particularly upmarket, as one would expect from Lexus, with soft-touch materials & ornamentation setting the tone. Still like the old school clock.
It has a new 10.3-inch touch-display, which has been moved forward 150mm compared to the previous IS.
Elegant ochre interior trim complements a choice of black or dark rose on the SE and EX grades, and a new 17-speaker Mark Levinson® audio, which is standard on the IS F Sport and SE, also raises the bar compared with the speaker system in the previous IS.
Safety.
According to Lexus, the new Lexus IS matches or exceeds the active safety technology featured in the current flagship Lexus LS.
Standard on the SE and F Sport grades, the new Lexus Safety System+ supports pre-collision warning (from approximately 10 to 180km/h), pre-collision brake assist (from approximately 30 to 80km/h with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, or approximately 30 to 180km/h with a detected preceding or stopped vehicle), and pre-collision braking (from approximately 10 to 80km/h with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, or approximately 10 to 180km/h with a detected preceding or stopped vehicle).
DRIVING DYNAMICS
The Lexus is a great driving experience, and this is because the “Lexus Driving Signature” that will become the development standard for all future Lexus models has been introduced. This system is faithful to a driver’s intentions, providing seamless transition from braking to steering and acceleration through a corner. These Lexus dynamic values were achieved by utilising the country-road test course at the company’s new technical centre in Shimoyama, Japan, which opened in 2019.
It was designed to take advantage of the local topography, featuring approximately a 75-metre change in elevation, a wide range of curves and a variety of road surfaces. By repeatedly subjecting both vehicle and engineers to daily tests in this severe driving environment, Lexus was able to devise an ever-higher dimension of vehicle performance.
In addition to Normal mode, it includes Sport S+ damping for tighter damping control during spirited driving. Active Cornering Assist (ACA) is newly adopted on all models, which is designed to maintain the most ideal vehicle posture when cornering by imperceptibly braking individual wheels to maintain the driver’s intended line.
PRICING.
The Lexus IS models retail from R841 300 for the EX grade, R899 800 for the SE grade and R916 100 for the F Sport. The entire IS range boasts a best-in-class 7-year/105 000km Warranty and Full Maintenance Plan. The vehicle service intervals are pegged at every 15 000km, alternatively once a year.
Summing up, the Lexus range has long been a favourite of mine, but the competition from the big three German manufacturers is fierce, and it is important that Lexus keep up with that.