2021 Lexus IS Australian Version

New Lexus IS – Evocative design

The IS reimagines the sports sedan concept with a low and wide stance, the sleek proportions of a four-door coupe, slimmer headlights and a lower, sharper side character line that combine to express a centre of gravity closer to the ground.

Gently sloped rear-quarter pillars, which help form a sleek cabin silhouette that wraps around from the sides, contrast with muscular rear guards to create a fast and aggressive look.

This is further emphasised by single-blade rear combination lights sporting an “L” motif and a sharper overall contour created by the character line around the bootlid.

Materials and ornamentation have been changed inside to complement the new 10.3-inch touch-display, which has been moved forward 150mm compared with the previous IS.

Elegant ochre interior trim complements a choice of black or dark rose on Luxury grades, while the F Sport is available in black, white and flare red – all with technical satin chrome ornamentation.

New 17-speaker Mark Levinson^®7 audio, which is standard on the IS Luxury with Enhancement Pack 2 and IS F Sport with Enhancement Pack, also raises the bar compared with the 15-speaker system in the previous IS.

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New Lexus IS – Imaginative technology

The new Lexus IS matches or exceeds the active safety technology featured in the current flagship Lexus LS.

The new Lexus Safety System+ supports pre-collision warning² (from approximately 10 to 180km/h), pre-collision brake assist² (from approximately 30 to 80km/h with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, or approximately 30 to 180km/h with a detected preceding or stopped vehicle), and pre-collision braking² (from approximately 10 to 80km/h with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, or approximately 10 to 180km/h with a detected preceding or stopped vehicle).

These systems are designed to work with both daytime and night-time pedestrian detection and daytime cyclist detection.

The new IS is the first Lexus to be equipped with intersection right/left turn assistance².

At an intersection, the pre-collision system is designed to provide a warning alert then braking if a driver is turning right or left in front of a detected oncoming vehicle in the opposite lane or pedestrian in the opposite direction.

It is also the first Lexus to offer emergency steering assist² (ESA), which is designed to automatically apply additional steering torque to assist the driver in manoeuvring within its lane around an unforeseen pedestrian (for example) walking ahead.

And, it is the first Lexus in Australia to debut Lexus Connected Services, including automated collision notification², SOS call and stolen vehicle tracking – further information on the roll-out of these features will be available soon.

New Lexus IS – Leading driving dynamics

Never before has such a focus been placed on enhancing the renowned rear-wheel drive dynamics of a new Lexus IS.

The new IS becomes the first Lexus to debut the “Lexus Driving Signature” that will become the development standard for all future Lexus models.

The “Lexus Driving Signature” is defined by linear vehicle operation that is faithful to a driver’s intentions, providing seamless transition from braking to steering and acceleration through a corner.

These Lexus dynamic values were achieved by utilising the country road test course at the company’s new technical centre in Shimoyama, Japan, which opened in 2019.

The country road test course is based on many years of Lexus experience of driving on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, famous throughout the world for its gruelling driving conditions.

It was designed to take advantage of the local topography, featuring approximately a 75-metre change in elevation, a wide range of curves and a variety of road surfaces.

By repeatedly subjecting both vehicle and engineers to daily tests in this severe driving environment, Lexus was able to devise an ever-higher dimension of vehicle performance.

You can find more visual details of the 2021 Lexus IS – Australian Version gallery by scrolling up.

Substantial chassis changes include a 45mm-wider front and 50mm-wider rear track for greater vehicle turn-in and stability.

Body rigidity has been improved, including the addition of bracing connecting the front pillar section and apron member, contributing to the enhanced steering response and cornering ability.

For the front side members, the welding patch has been made narrower and additional spot weld points have been applied to increase the panel joint rigidity, providing excellent handling stability – including steering responsiveness and road surface feedback.

Additional welding spots and laser-screw welding techniques have also been adopted elsewhere, improving rear rail joint rigidity in particular and ensuring a tight and planted cornerning feel.

Hot stamp, high tensile steel sheets and aluminium has been employed, enabling reduced panel thickness, contributing to structural simplification and reduced weight.

Reducing outer body panel weight also reduces inertia movement when cornering, improving agility through successive bends. It has also enabled new sound insulating materials to be employed behind the dashboard to realise excellent refinement.

Despite a stronger, quieter feel on the road, the new IS boasts a kerb weight up to 30kg lighter⁹ (IS 350 F Sport).

The advanced double-wishbone front suspension now features lighter and stronger components. This includes a new high-stress material for the coil springs (20% weight reduction), an upper control arm material change from steel to aluminium (18% weight reduction), a reshaped and re-engineered bound stopper to reduce shock, a new swing-valve shock absorber design (Luxury only) and wheel bolt fasteners for improved axle rigidity and reduced unsprung mass.

The multi-link rear suspension also includes a coil spring material change (20% weight reduction), second control arm material change from steel to aluminium (20% weight reduction) and a new rear stabiliser bar (17% weight reduction).

Adaptive Variable Suspension on F Sport boasts anti-dive and anti-squat control, as well as roll-attitude control. It even includes unsprung mass vibration damping control – where a higher damping force is maintained when unsprung resonance is detected based on speed sensor signal output, thus helping enhance road holding with no loss of ride comfort.

In addition to Normal mode it includes Sport S+ damping for tighter damping control during spirited driving.

You can find more visual details of the 2021 Lexus IS – Australian Version gallery by scrolling up.

Active Cornering Assist² (ACA) is newly adopted on all models, which is designed to maintain the most ideal vehicle posture when cornering by imperceptibly braking individual wheels to maintain the driver’s intended line.