Selwyn Times: September 08, 2021

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26 Selwyn Times Wednesday September 8 2021
Hybrid Lexus still a true sports sedan
I KNEW I’D eventually regret it,
selling a perfectly good car.
But that’s par for the course,
almost all of the vehicles I’ve
owned and passed over through
the years, I wish I’d kept. Such is
the case with my Toyota Altezza,
an opportunity came along that
was too good to turn down and
I’m relaxed knowing its new
owner has a good car; but I sure
do miss it.
It’s partly because of that
Altezza that I relate to Lexus’ IS
series sedan, you see the Altezza
was marketed in New Zealand
by Lexus as an IS200 and IS300
six-cylinder luxury/sports sedan
during the early 2000s and it fast
became the Lexus I enjoy the
most – and it still is.
The IS series sits at the
lower end of Lexus’ price scale
and it isn’t a big car, but its
compact design fits well with the
overall Lexus picture – luxury
cars that also lean towards
performance.
Lexus also has a hefty hybrid
manufacturing programme,
almost all of its models have
hybrid options and that includes
the IS series.
This evaluation focuses on the
IS300h F Sport (h for hybrid),
although if you aren’t quite ready
for the change to hybrid power,
the lovely 2-litre four-cylinder
turbocharged engine is still in
the books along with 3.5-litre V6
power.
The IS series has just had a
fairly big makeover. The changes
are too numerous to detail at
length, but I can report the list is
very comprehensive.
The concept of the IS is still
very much intact, it has all the
ingredients that make it a very
desirable sports sedan, made
better through significant chassis
fettering that has been made
possible through race track
development at Toyota and Lexus’
new purpose-built test facility in
Shimoyama, Japan.
In terms of cost, the IS300h
F Sport lists at $85,800, flanked
by an entry-level hybrid at
$76,200, and Limited at $88,300.
For interest’s sake, the IS 2-litre
turbo starts at $70,900, the range
ending at $101,800 for the V6.
These are respectable prices
and, although they are very much
out of my reach, I’m very mindful
of where the IS sits in the Lexus
line-up.
The 300h is very much an
integral part of the IS range as
well, it’s there to satisfy those who
like the idea of electric power
along with those who want range
in an electric car, the IS300h can
travel up to 600km using the
petrol engine at will.
Bear in mind, though, the
IS300h isn’t a plug-in. Its hybrid
system is pretty much a carryover
from previous generation models
and that which first made its
presence here in NZ – the
driveline from Toyota’s Camry
hybrid.
EDGY: Four-door body style gives the IS300h a sleek sedan
look.
LEXUS IS300H: Hybrid system provides a petrol/electric range of over 600km.
Even so, you can guarantee
both companies have been
working on efficiencies and the
IS300h hybrid driveline is stateof-the-art,
and effective. Lexus
claims a 5.1-litre per 100km
combined cycle average, which
sits well with the 6.8l/100km
figure sitting on the dash
display readout when I took
the evaluation car back to the
dealership.
What’s more, the IS300h feels
like a true sports sedan, it has
high power outputs of 133kW
and 221Nm, and when you get
the benefits of the battery power
kicking in (31kW) there is solid
impetus to be had. Lexus claims a
standstill to 100km/h acceleration
time of 7sec while it will also
lunge through a highway overtake
in 5sec (80-120km/h).
I took the evaluation car on a
long highway run through State
Highway 72 (Scenic Route) to
South Canterbury and enjoyed
its freedom on those undulating
roads, it’s the perfect touring
car and one which fully involves
those on-board. It doesn’t
demand anything from the driver,
but it does feel tightly connected
to the road. I felt fresh after the
excursion and satisfied that I
had driven it in a way that many
buyers would.
In terms of handling, the
IS300 steers purposefully on
its low profile 19in Bridgestone
tyres, turn-in is direct and sharp,
while body movement over the
• Price – Lexus IS300h,
$85,800
• Dimensions – Length,
4710mm; width, 1840mm;
height, 1435mm
• Configuration – Fourcylinder,
rear-wheel-drive,
2494cc, 133kW (+31kW),
221Nm, continuously
variable automatic
• Performance – 0-100km/h,
8.5sec
• Fuel usage – 5.1l/100km
suspension is minimal. That’s put
down to the body sitting low at
1.4m, there is little gravitational
effect, and the balance within the
chassis is sublime, while steering
is like driving on velvet, such is
the feel and feedback.
Why the IS300 is such a
deliberate handler also goes down
its rear-wheel-drive platform,
which provides a natural drive
motion, there is solid push from
the rear but there is balance and
control at all times.
Such is the firming of the
spring and damper rates, the
fully independent suspension
keeps the wheels and tyres
firmly in place on the road
surface. That’s one of the reasons
I like the IS series so much, that
feel you get from rear-wheeldrive
is one of involvement and
enjoyment.
Elsewhere, the IS300h is
traditional to drive, the complex
engine/motor combination drives
through a continuously variable
transmission that can be locked
into pre-set steps using the
steering wheel-mounted paddle
shifters. If you want to be more
involved in the driveline process
there are drive modes that can
be tailored to suit individual
preferences, or sport and
economy parameters, should you
so wish.
On my run south I used
mostly normal mode and there
was never a point where I felt
more from the driveline was
required, and if you need to brake
in a hurry the pedal feel is simply
forceful, the entire IS chassis has
balance and makes you feel so
much part of the car. It is one that
is extremely competent when
the challenging corners of New
Zealand’s back roads are on offer.
In true Lexus fashion, the
IS300h is fully equipped, it gets
all the specification for comfort
and convenience, and safety,
you would want in an 80k car,
and that’s no surprise, Lexus is
a car maker that challenges all
the luxury/sporty brands. You
can guarantee that what you buy
will last forever and give you
enormous satisfaction along the
way.
I enjoyed the IS300h so much
that I’ve asked for a drive in either
the turbo-four or V6; let’s hope
that happens, it might make me
feel less despondent about selling
my old pride and joy.
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