Lexus IS (XE30) - 2017MY minor change

The Lexus IS luxury midsize saloon is now on its 2017 model year and it received a minor change having been around on the road for around three years now. So, let's see some minor updates to Lexus' competitor to BMW's 3-Series, Audi's A4, and Benz's C-Class.

2017 Lexus IS

2017 Lexus IS

First up, the exterior design has been slightly revised and you can see a rather bizarre front face that looks even more eccentric than the pre-facelifted model. Although eccentric, some people might just squint their eyes to look like a decent luxury car but the new look is still noticeable from its bizarreness even when you squint at it from far away. And then, there's the revised taillamps which is still looks rather similar to the pre-facelift model. Overall, it's still a similar story.

2017 Lexus IS interior

On the interior, the biggest changes occurred in this minor change is the size of the display screen which has gone up from 7-inches to 10.25 inches. There's a new enter button located at the right side of the Remote Touch Interface on the center console for easy access as well as new stitching and new interior colors to choose from, making it very discerning for the user. In terms of tech, the 2017 Lexus IS now comes with the Lexus Safety System +, an array of safety tech featuring a Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection Function, Lane Departure Alert, Automatic High Beam, and Radar Cruise Control.

2017 Lexus IS

The lineup's been drastically changed as well and due to the success of the turbocharged IS 200t model, which comes with the 8AR-FTS engine that produces 238PS of power and 350Nm of torque output while mated to an 8-speed AT, the one with the 2.5L V6 engine has been kicked out from the range and in return, the 2017MY IS now consists with the IS200t, IS350 (the one with the 3.5L V6 petrol engine), or the IS300h with a 2.5L 4-cylinder hybrid powerplant that promises 23.2kmpl of fuel economy as measured by JC08 Mode standards. Apart from the shift in the engine lineup, the 2017MY Lexus IS features an updated suspension, which results to a better handling and better ride compared to the pre-MC model. Talk about a major improvement, though.

The 2017MY Lexus IS starts at 4,700,000 Japanese Yen for the IS200t while the IS300h starts at 5,150,000 Japanese Yen.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation