Priced from £22,400, the new model is fitted with a new 204bhp 2.5 V6 direct injection petrol engine and Lexus’s first diesel engine. The 175bhp 2.2-litre diesel unit will be available in January.
The 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine with dual VVT-I reaches 0-62mph acceleration in 8.1 seconds with manual transmission and 8.4 seconds in automatic versions. Top speed is 144mph manual, 141mph automatic. Carbon dioxide emissions are 231g/km manual, 214g/km automatic.
A new six-speed manual transmission is fitted as standard, with a newly-developed six-speed automatic available as a £1,000 option on the IS 250.
All IS models are equipped as standard with eight airbags, including knee airbags for the driver and front passenger. The passenger front airbag is the first in the world to use a twin-chamber construction.
A full suite of electronic control systems are fitted as standard: ABS with brake assist system (BAS) and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD); vehicle stability control (VSC, not featured on IS 220d Sport); and traction control (TRC).
The IS 250 SE-L automatic is available with the option of adaptive cruise control (ACC), which maintains a safe, pre-set distance from the vehicle ahead, and Lexus’s pre-crash safety system (PCS), which determines when a frontal collision is unavoidable and tensions the front seatbelts and prepares to engage emergency braking to help minimise impact.
SE-L and Sport versions are equipped with high intensity discharge (HID) headlamps with Lexus’s adaptive front-lighting System (AFS). AFS adjusts the angle of the headlamp beam in line with vehicle speed and steering angle to improve illumination through bends.
The IS 220d Sport comes as standard with Lexus’s vehicle dynamics integrated management (VDIM) system, which Lexus says enhances the vehicle’s performance, traction control and stability.
The IS is launched in IS 250, SE and SE-L grades on November 19. The IS 220d models and IS 250 Sport versions are due to join the range in January 2006, with IS 220d Sport models completing the line-up in April 2006.
Prices:
| Model | OTR price | Insurance group | ||
| IS 250 | £22,400 | 13E | ||
| IS 250 SE | £25,400 | 14E | ||
| IS 250 SE-L | £28,000 | 14E | ||
| IS 250 Sport | £26,500 | 14E | ||
| IS 220d | £22,200 | 12E | ||
| IS 220d SE | £25,200 | 13E | ||
| IS 220d SE-L | £27,800 | 13E | ||
| IS 220d Sport | £26,900 | 13E | ||
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