Lexus has announced the new IS sedan, the third generation that was launched in 2013. The platform is the same, the engines are the same, while the exterior has been updated extensively, and the interior is a mashup of old and new. The four-door was unveiled online in the variant intended for the American market at the moment.
As mentioned above, the Lexus IS 2021 uses the same platform as the previous generation and a cabin without much change. However, the platform has been refined to bring benefits to the driver, while occasional adjustments were made inside. Even with regard to the driving characteristics, the car should have become more sporty.
The facelift is quite extensive, and there are also new headlights, taillights, and bumpers. Lexus technicians have worked a lot on torsional rigidity by modifying the existing platform and introducing technical innovations such as 19-inch wheels, lightened wheel bolts, forged aluminum suspension arms as well as suspension springs and anti-roll bars lightened by 20% and 17% respectively.
The vehicle offers minor interior changes, but you’ll find a 10.3-inch infotainment display that offers compatibility with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – a great addition. New is also the option with Mark Levinson’s audio system that gives you 17 speakers with a total of 1800 watts of power.
In terms of power, the 2021 Lexus IS does not offer big changes. The IS 300 has 2.0-liter, turbocharged and intercooled inline four-cylinder engine, giving 241 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. It drives on the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. There is also a four-wheel-drive IS 300, and it instead has a 3.5 liter V6 that delivers 260 hp and 236 lb.-ft. of torque to all four wheels. The engine here is connected to a six-speed automatic transmission.
Those who want even more power can choose the IS 350, which has the same six-speed but with 311 hp and 280 lb.-ft. of peak torque instead. It only drives on the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, and 0-100 km/h (0-60 mph) should run in 5.6 seconds.
The 2021 Lexus IS will go on sale this fall, but no pricing has been announced yet.