2014 Lexus IS Meets The Public In Detroit

The 2014 Lexus IS was introduced this morning at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, and the vehicle’s redesign makes it the latest, and final member of the Lexus family to receive the brand’s recent styling makeover.  The 2014 Lexus IS is all-new inside and out, and it steps forward as a bolder entry into the entry-level luxury sedan market.

The Lexus IS now bears the pinched, trapezoidal grille that has become the corporate face of the premium automaker, and its extroverted appearance is backed up by the F Sport model’s aggressive air intakes, flares, and curves.  The F Sport edition of the IS that graced the stage at the Riverview Ballroom of the Cobo Center in Detroit was definitely impossible to miss, as it made a huge visual statement that was contrasted against the images of the more reserved, yet aging well looks of the first-generation IS that were displayed behind it.  The new IS is longer and wider than the model it replaces, which translates into better passenger room front and rear, and Lexus has also redesigned the vehicle’s seats for better support and comfort.

Under the hood, the IS 250 will feature a 2.5-liter V6 that produces 204 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, while the IS 350 is slated to offer a 3.5-liter V6 that will be good for 306 horses and 277 lb-ft of twist.  The IS will also be offered in a hybrid model, for the very first time, but this edition will be sold exclusively in Europe where Lexus expects it to make up 80 percent of the sales mix.  All three models will be available in F-Sport trim, and while rear-wheel drive versions of the non-hybrid IS will come with an eight-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive IS 350 sedans stick with a six-speed autobox.  No manual transmission will be offered with the 2014 Lexus IS.