What’s hot?
- Lexus has sharpened the style and improved the packaging of this second generation IS. Result: more kerb appeal and it’s also roomier inside.
- The all-round sophistication and smoothness of the Lexus Hybrid Drive which seamlessly matches a 2.5-litre ‘four’ with E-CVT transmission, electric motor and nickel-metal hydride battery.
Long list of kit that includes all the business-friendly necessities you’d expect in a Lexus – dual zone climate control, cruise control, Bluetooth etc - Competitive eco numbers: CO2 emissions of 109g/km and 60.1mpg combined. £0 VED in the first year.
- Low company car tax rate of 13%, so attractive for company car drivers.
- Hybrid system offers a choice of driving modes – Eco, Normal and Sport – plus there’s an EV mode which has the IS run in silent, zero emission mode, up to about 20mph.
- With system output good for 200PS, the IS300h packs effective all round pace. 0-62mph comes up in claimed 8.3 seconds.
- Outstanding levels of low speed/cruising refinement.
- F Sport package ramps up the dynamics (sharpening steering, stiffening the chassis) to make the IS300h an incisive all-round driving tool.
- F Sport visual tweaks – stronger ‘spindle’ mesh front grille and front aero bumpers etc, along with 18-inch alloys – up the visual ante without going OTT.
- Long kit list includes dual-zone climate control, 7in multimedia screen with Remote Touch control, rear-view camera, Bluetooth, cruise control and bi-xenon headlamps.
What’s not?
- Hard to match the combined economy figure of 60.1mpg on the road. The best we saw was 53.8mpg but typically, it was mid 40s or so. Still, that’s hardly a problem that’s peculiar to the Lexus.
- Stiff low-speed ride on car’s sporty 255/40×18 tyres.
- No manual gearbox option, as is the case with all Lexus hybrids, so enthusiast drivers may need not apply.
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