2017 Lexus IS: a Refresh for the “Intelligent Sport”
Each Lexus model has a name composed of two letters, or three in the case of their high-performance variants. As you may expect, they’re not chosen randomly. For example, the very first Lexus vehicle ever made, the LS, meant “Luxury Sedan.” Simple, right?
IS means “Intelligent Sport.” Why that slightly less obvious name? Because Lexus’ compact sedan is essentially a sporty car, and the word intelligent refers to its compact size, meaning it’s an intelligent compromise.
Whether you’re convinced of this or not, the Lexus IS currently represents a pretty interesting product, especially considering its reputation of reliability, an aspect in which Lexus is unbeaten. As far as sales go, it’s not as good. In Canada, this market segment is led by the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, followed by the other German brands.
However, the current-generation IS is now a few years old, and it’s now getting a typical, mid-cycle refresh. These minor redesigns aren’t all that significant, but more and more brands, such as Nissan, tend to go the extra mile during these updates, sometimes offering new option packages or even new engines.
In the case of the 2017 Lexus IS, the changes are minor. At first glance, we’re talking about a restyled front end, a few new details at the rear and the introduction of a 10-inch infotainment screen in the cockpit, similar to what’s found in the RX SUV.
Under the hood, nothing new. The IS is still offered in 200t, 300 and 350 variants, the last two including a 3.5-litre V6, while the 200t offers a 241-hp, four-cylinder turbo.
Anyway, we could get a few surprises, as is the case at this type of events. Stay tuned for more details on the 2017 Lexus IS.