- An Evocative Design and Lexus Luxury
- The Sunroof now standard in more models in the range
- F Sport Hybrid – a sporty stance and more about the spindle grille
Lexus is guided by the Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement. Each model often receives improvements and spec changes during its model years and the Lexus IS 300h is no exception.
Since the launch of the new IS range last year, the model has re-invigorated the luxury medium sedan class, focusing on three key attributes: an evocative design, imaginative technology and leading driving dynamics, embracing a new generation of IS sports sedan owners.
The hybrid market has shown immense growth in the past five years and the shift from diesel to alternative-propulsion vehicles is expected to keep growing at a rapid rate, further supporting the company’s mission to reduce emissions.
Also, Lexus South Africa plans to leverage its existing dominance in the hybrid-electric market to expand its share even further. At the same time, Lexus will position hybrids as performance and technology-rich vehicles. The Lexus IS boasts three model grades in hybrid: IS 300h EX, IS 300h SE and IS 300 F Sport.
Kaizen
As part of the current spec change, three modifications were made: from an aesthetics point of view, the IS hybrid badge and the blue colour logo have been removed – this is due to Lexus’ future strategy to market and sell vehicles that fit into the brand’s New Energy Vehicle (NEV) offering – hybrids, plug-in hybrids and/or full electric; the full range’s push start button colour has been changed from blue to gun metallic; and finally, to enhance product appeal and cater to customer requests, the most exciting change of course, is the inclusion of a sunroof in the F Sport model grade. Previously, the sunroof was available as standard only in the SE grade.
Hybrid Performance
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. 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.
Standard Features in the Lexus IS
Standard features include 18-inch alloy wheels for the EX and SE (19-inch for the F Sport), an electric park brake, 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.
In 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 SE and F Sport models also come standard with satellite navigation, voice control and LED headlamps with automatic high beam.
F Sport Grille
The IS F Sport is alluring and assertive – Lexus designers didn’t hold back when giving the range topper its coupe-like silhouette and dramatic rendition of the signature spindle grille that shows even greater intricacy in the design. To achieve the desired texture and interaction with light, developing the F Sport grille was a work of art.
The front grille features the iconic mesh pattern that has been used on all F Sport models, complementing the brand’s sporty image. The lower grille construction incorporates RC-F inspired air intakes, also strengthening its sporty image.
F Sport exclusive items heighten the sporty driving image, which include the F Sport emblem on the front fender, piano-black garnish on the front grille and lower bumper, as well as exclusive 19-inch aluminium wheels that feature a premium dark-metallic coating.
Pricing And Service Information
The Lexus IS models retail from R924 200 for the EX-grade, R988 500 for the SE-grade and R1 016 100 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.
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