Lexus combines luxury with laughs

The contrast between the comments of the manager of Lexus in Australia, Sean Hanley, and Junichi Furuyama, the Japanese engineer who developed the new IS series Lexus was stark.

Mr Hanley was quick to acknowledge Lexus had a staid Australian image that had failed to excite. Mr Furuyama, a car and driving enthusiast, revealed his prime objective was to build a car that was fun to drive.

Paradoxically, the new IS range accomplishes both. From a competent, comfortable and luxuriously appointed IS 250 small V6, the IS range morphs into an advanced petrol/electric hybrid, through to a high-performance IS 350 with a 233kW and 378Nm 3.5-litre V6. The F Sport variant of the IS 350 made the most of the sinuous Phillip Island racetrack, while the IS 250 clearly worked hard to keep up on a run through winding roads across the hills surrounding Yarra Valley vineyards in Victoria.

Lexus IS manages to be Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Lexus has completely re-engineered the chassis on this latest version of its compact car. Major weight-saving technology has been applied, including the kind of metallurgy development that is standard fare for the latest European cars. All three models range between 1645kg and 1720kg even though, in the case of the hybrid, it's carrying a 100kg battery pack behind the rear axle and underneath the boot floor.

Under the skin, the new IS benefits from a run of prototypes Mr Furuyama built to deliver the driving experience he planned. The production line was changed to allow the use of laser screw welding and adhesive body- bonding between the welds, delivering a 10 per cent improvement in body rigidity. Multiple Australian rally champion Neal Bates said this made a big difference to the predictability of the car, allowing engineers to develop ride and handling improvements with suspension settings alone, "like the race and rally cars".

Unlike other Lexus model changes, Lexus IS looks dramatically different to its predecessor. The nose is especially overt, with a shark-like appearance from sculpted fenders and the brand-wide spindle grille. The tight centre of the grille is accentuated by the slash of daytime running lights.

A deeper bumper section includes big air vents for the brakes and aero fins deflect air from the tyres themselves. Underneath there are eight flattened panels with 13 aero fins to minimise air turbulence.

We drove the previous model before a few laps in the new version. The IS 350's new eight- speed transmission changes three times faster than the current model, has modes for normal, sport and manual, and uses throttle blipping for downshifts.

The difference in rear-end adhesion compared with the previous model was huge. The new IS felt glued to the road, except when Mr Bates switched off the stability control and tossed the car around like a go-kart.

Lexus owners won't be doing that anytime soon but a chassis with that stability is very safe at normal road speeds, as well as when it's driven with enthusiasm.

HYBRID BREAKS NEW GROUND
The IS 300h scores a number of firsts for Lexus.

It’s the first hybrid in the IS range, the first Lexus with the Atkinson- cycle petrol engine and the first hybrid from Japan with a 60/40 rear-seat split because the battery pack has been placed under the boot floor and behind the rear axle line.

I was concerned putting 100kg behind the rear axle would alter the weight distribution so much it would have the tail wagging the dog, so to speak.

The IS 350 has a 53.1/46.9 front/rear weight distribution, whereas the hybrid is 49.2/50.8.

The engineers advised the advantages of a lower centre of gravity and enhanced body rigidity more than made up for the shift in weight distribution.

Former rally champion Neal Bates confirmed the hybrid was no different on the track.
The greatest attraction of a hybrid is the drivability of a petrol/electric powertrain.

Super-efficient turbo-diesels inevitably suffer from some amount of turbo lag but the hybrid has no such troubles.

Because the electric motor delivers instant maximum torque, when you press the throttle in the Lexus IS 300h you enjoy immediate acceleration.

It provides the low-down torque of a modern diesel without the heightened noise and vibration.

Most importantly, the hybrid records 4.9 L/100km in fuel efficiency and produces 113g of CO2 per km. The IS 250 uses 9.2 L/100km with 213g of CO2, while the IS 350 figures are 9.7 L/100km and 225g.

To maximise fuel performance, the 300h uses a CVT transmission instead of the six-speed and eight- speed autos on the IS 250 and 350 respectively.

The system offers gearshift paddles on the steering wheel but these activate six software- induced ratios to minimise the usual CVT engine wail under full throttle.

It provides the low-down torque of a modern diesel without the heightened noise and vibration.

Most importantly, the hybrid records 4.9 L/100km in fuel efficiency and produces 113g of CO2 per km. By comparison, The IS 250 uses 9.2 L/100km with 213g of CO2, while the IS 350 figures are 9.7 L/100km and 225g.

To maximise fuel performance, the 300h uses a CVT transmission instead of the six-speed and eight- speed autos on the IS 250 and 350 respectively.

The system offers gearshift paddles on the steering wheel but these activate six software- induced ratios to minimise the usual CVT engine wail under full throttle.

APPEAL FOR ALL

In retrospect, I can see the bottom-rung IS 250 as a Japanese Rover, with the same clubby luxury feel of essentially British style. That’s where the similarity ends because nothing falls off the Lexus and everything works. Owners looking for this kind of driving experience will love their IS 250 and no doubt keep it for a long time.

However the IS 300h and IS 350 are legitimate performance competitors for the equivalent model Audi A4, BMW 3-series and Mercedes-Benz C class models. Competitive retail pricing is a strong suite, because the Lexus IS models deliver several thousand dollars more of additional equipment than their competitors.

Both front and rear seats are superbly comfortable in all models but the console and instrument control panel seemed bulkier and set higher than European cars, giving an impression of restricted vision.

Lexus is releasing its connected mobility solution with the IS range. Called “Enform”, the system will connect to a Lexus call centre, providing searches for fuel, restaurants and weather, as well as GPS co-ordination and direction. But you need a smart phone to connect.

I suspect the IS 250 misses developer Junichi Furuyama’s objective of being fun to drive. However, the hybrid, and especially the IS 350, would fit comfortably in a sports sedan enthusiast’s garage.

There is no way I’d pay $55,900 for the 250 when $3000 more brings a petrol/electric driveline that transforms the car and starts to live up to the all-new and very aggressive styling. Even then, Stretching the budget further to $65,000 will deliver the IS 350 with 52 per cent more power and 50 per cent more torque, and only 40kg extra weight.