Lexus IS350 '16

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Robert Moore wrote:When the Lexus IS debuted for the 2013 model year, it was a sporty sedan that sold much better than even Lexus had expected. Now that the model is a few years old, Lexus took it upon itself to give its sporty little entry-level sedan a refresh.

There isn’t a whole lot that changed, but the headlight units take on a different shape, and the front fascia is sportier than ever. There are also new taillight units, new wheel designs, and even a couple new colors. On the inside, the infotainment display screen has received an update, and there are a few other refinements within the cabin. The IS’ safety equipment even got a little love with this refresh.

All of that sounds pretty good for a refresh, doesn’t it? It’s not the most elaborate refresh – the same engines carry over from before – but there is enough newness to keep the little sedan fresh until the next-generation model comes to life. But, the real question is: Will the refresh be enough to keep sales of Lexus’ entry-level sedan soaring as they have for the last three years? Only time will tell, but now that the refreshed IS has debuted at the Beijing Auto Show, let’s take a closer look at what Lexus did in hopes of maintaining the car’s overwhelming success.

Exterior

For the most part, the overall appearance of the IS has remained the same, but there are some pretty interesting changes. Up front, the same Lexus grille remains, but it folds back a little higher than before, giving the front end more character. The grille also features horizontal louvers all the way to the bottom. The check-mark LED runners below the headlights now seem to be more stretched out, and the headlights themselves are a little more jagged than before. Down below, the corner vents are much more aggressive and larger than before. They are back by a black trim insert that gives the appearance of unlimited depth. Because of this design, the nose looks like it protrudes from the car a little farther than before. In other words, the front end isn’t anywhere near as flat as it once was.

To the sides, there are no structural changes to speak of. Considering the current generation has such a high approval rate, Lexus opted to leave the body lines and side styling alone. Even the mirrors and side skirts have carried over from last year’s model. To the rear, the Lexus IS Lexus IS has a lot of the same going on. The taillights have the same shape, but the internal layout has changed. The reverse lights are now on the lower edge of the decklid mounted lens, and the piping inside has a more dramatic layout. Down below, the same shark-fin-shaped reflectors are on each corner. The exhaust outlets are now rectangular, and the rear diffuser now has five fins spread between the exhaust outlets.

With the refresh comes two new exterior color schemes – Deep Blue Mica and Graphite Black Glass Flake. In addition, 10-spoke, 17-inch wheels are standard on the IS, but there are several new designs with bright machine finishes. All told, it’s not a bad refresher when you consider how lazy some manufacturers have been with their updates recently.

Interior

On the inside, there are a few interesting changes to speak of. First off, the Moonstone and Ivory colors have been replaced by Chateau, which is a light shade of gray. As you can see from the image above, the door trim panels feature the same red leather as the seats. There is also red contrast stitching on the center console. A new feature for this year is the stitching on the overhang of the instrument cluster. The speedometer and tachometer have been refined and are no much cleaner. The car also received newly designed cup holders that now are now connected by an opening in the middle.

The overall design of the dash has remained the same, but that infotainment screen has been updated from a measly seven inches up to 10.3 inches – a huge improvement if you ask me. Furthermore, “Enter” buttons have been added to the sides of the remote touch interface, which should make using the system much easier than before. As you can see, the HVAC control system has been redesigned to sit farther back in the center stack and sports a “hairline” finish, giving the interior a much cleaner look.

Overall the interior hasn’t changed all that much, but it has changed enough for the purposes of a redesign. Just looking at the images here, the IS looks to be more comfortable, inviting, and more luxurious than ever. I’m especially a fan of the red, black, and gray color scheme shown off in these pictures.

Drivetrain

Since Lexus made some headway in drivetrain department for the 2016 model year, it comes as no surprise that the refreshed model will offer the same engine lineup. The IS 200T comes with the same 2.0-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder that delivers 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Moving up to the IS300 all-wheel drive will get you a 3.5-liter that delivers a greasy 255 horsepower and 306 pound-feet of torque.

In the range-topping IS350, the 3.5-liter is tuned to deliver a decent 306 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. On the lesser models, power is sent to the wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 300 AWD gets a six-speed automatic, and the IS350 gets an eight-speed direct shift automatic.

All told, the IS 200T should be able to hit the 60-mph sprint in 6.9 seconds on the way to a top speed of 143 mph. The IS300 AWD can hit the same benchmark in 6.1 seconds with a top speed 131 mph. The IS350 has the same 131-mph top speed, but can hit 60 mph from a dead stop in 5.7 seconds. Not bad for an entry-level luxury sedan, right?
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