Thread: First drive review: Lexus IS 300h

Lexuss German-baiting hybrid promises remarkable diesel-beating CO2 figures in a compact, agile, rear-drive format This is an early prototype of the all-new Lexus IS. The IS isn't being launched until the Detroit show in mid-January so much of the car's detail, including the interior and exterior styling, was under wraps for this drive. The UK will be getting two models: a V6 petrol-powered IS250 (which is mainly for the model's UK private buyers), and the new IS300h driven here, which combines a 2. 5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and a battery pack. This latter car is intended to be Lexuss big breakthrough in the UKs CO2-driven fleet market. Remarkably, Lexus is aiming to get the IS300h certified at under 100g/km. The new car is based on the same new rear-drive platform as the recently-launched GS, although the wheelbase has been shortened and the track is also slightly narrower. Lexus's engineers say the structure is extra-stiff, using 25 metres of adhesive, extra spot welds and a new technique called laser screw welding in its construction. The double-wishbone front suspension set-up gets stiffer anti-roll bars and softer spring rates (to try to improve the ride without sacrificing handling), and the multi-link rear suspension is new. The biggest advance is the redesigned CVT transmission, which finally eliminates the widely disliked mismatch between engine speed and vehicle speed so typical of previous CVT boxes. The interior styling is close to that of the CT compact hatchback. There are two centre console dials, one for the multimedia system and one for switching the chassis between Eco, Normal, Sport and Sport+ modes.