Lexus New IS (GSE30/GSE35/GSE31/AVE30)

2014 Lexus IS

If you are the sort of petrolhead who accidentally sniffed a bottle of solvent for several hours from now, chances are that the only mistake you could have done is mistaken the IS for Infinite Stratos and if by the word Stratos, you would actually mean "Lancia Stratos" but no. IS and Stratos are from a totally different league and the Lexus IS doesn't behave like the Lancia Stratos do. Sorry for this but there will be several bad puns intended because as a man who got stoked for the upcoming Infinite Stratos 2, let's look at the totally unrelated IS that doesn't have to do with it. The main instruction? Keep it simple. Okay then, one simple story coming up...

The brand new Lexus IS is designed from the ground up to become one of the most potent entry-level Lexus sedan ever made to cater the young buyers but in terms of fashion tastes it is a bit too shoddy. A bit predator-ish and when a baby sees one may end up crying uncontrollably. It's available in either a 2.5L V6 engine with the optional 4WD, a 3.5L V6 engine mated with an 8-speed SPDS transmission which is too much for a V6 car, and for the first time ever, a 2.5L 4-cylinder coupled with a 105kW electric motor and some old-fashioned nickel batteries. Yep, there's now a hybrid model on the Lexus IS and to explain why, I went to London...and sadly though I had to pay the congestion charge even though its a hybrid. Heard the news? Hybrids and so-called eco-cars are going to lose their exemption status for the London congestion charge because they're causing too much pollution. Hmmm... Really? I regret Boris Johnson for doing this...

2014 Lexus IS

Anyway, this new IS 300h uses the same engine that I get in the hybrid model of the uber-ugly latest Toyota Crown model. Running on engine alone, it generates about 177PS of power and when both the engine and the 105kW electric motor kicks in, the power output now runs at about 220PS of power. That's about 20 more than the Toyota 86's. And then there's the transmission. The hybrid model comes with the CVT gearbox which gives this car some strange feeling and the same noise you'll be hearing. No matter if its auto or in manual mode where you'll let the paddles do the talking, it's still the same feeling. It's just 6000 revs over and over. Too awkward.

So, for a car with 23.2km/L of fuel consumption, I wonder what kind of redeeming characteristics does the 300h has? To find out, I went to a certain winding road somewhere in Japan...and it's a bit too serious. It's like there's some very clever Japanese businessman underneath it that doesn't translate the word "fun" into Japanese but never mind that because the Japanese don't know what "fun" is. The only feeling I can expect is...just west of weird. It's a bit too Gravity Falls than Gravity Rush and if I was on the IS 350 model, same thing. What bothers me about the IS 350 model is that I now have an 8-speed SPDS gearbox and that's too much to have a V6 car with so many gears.

2014 Lexus IS

2014 Lexus IS interior

There was this F-Sport model applicable for all IS models which features enhanced handling and performance, Adaptive Variable Suspension and Variable Gear Ratio Steering (only on the IS350). To find out, I went to Germany...and as it turns out, it's not half bad at the bends. I kinda agree to the blokes who said that the F-Sport model's steering feel and precision mullered the Europeans but sometimes I don't believe the praise. It's still just "west of weird". It's more Mabel Pines-ish than Age Abeille. Oops...Sorry about that. Did I said this loud, am I?

Anyway, while driving isn't the least of my problems, how about the design flow? Let's go back to the topic. Well for starters, a normal IS isn't quite the better looking than the previous model and if I were to choose between this and the previous model (2005-2012), I would rather chose the previous one instead because the design is well behaved while the new model is as weird as Mabel's braces. Perhaps they should have brought the author of IS or inspire it from the Akatsubaki for looks. Same case on the F-Sport model. Well, surprisingly, I wanna go to China in search for a metaphor for this car but sadly due to diplomatic reasons, no. I can't go to China in search for a metaphor for this car because...that would be racism.

2014 Lexus IS

What about the interior? If looks can be deceiving, how come the new IS's interior kinda resemble of the Lexus LFA's? That's the idea; while the Lexus LFA is one of the best driver's car, it's sold out, so Lexus decided to stay faithful to the original IS, better known to you and me as the Toyota Altezza from the 1998 to 2004, while paying respect to the LFA. There's a similar case too, with the LFA-esque speedo on the F-Sport model, infotainment, and the identical steering wheel. And compared to the previous model, there's very little to worry about with your limbs.

To sum up then, rivals like the BMW 3-Series and the Cadillac ATS are nothing more than being a proper driver's car because they're both well mannered and well behaved to be fun-to-drive machines. The new Lexus IS though, it's just too well-focused to be a proper entry-level saloon car and it's just too well-focused to be ugly even though the Spindle Grille just makes it worse. And with the pricing of 4,200,000 Yen for the IS250 model up to 5,950,000 for the IS350 F-Sport, it's too expensive. You can't use the IS 300h to get through London for free because the eco-car exemption for the congestion charge is gone, the handling is a so-so, it's made by a company that should have known better, and as told, it's just "west of weird". Question is, am I not gonna like this more than the latest Toyota Crown?! I know that's sounds ridiculous but let's leave this case to the professionals.

Available colors: White Pearl Crystal Shine, White Nova Glass Flake, Platinum Silver Metallic, Sonic Titanium, Mercury Grey Mica, Black, Starlight Black Glass Flake, Red Mica Crystal Shine, Exceed Blue Metallic, and Lapis Lazuli Mica.



Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation