24 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> Thursday <strong>September</strong> 9 <strong>2021</strong> RUNOUT OUTLANDER LS 2.4L 2WD $32,990+ORC * <strong>The</strong> 7 seater Mitsubishi Outlander brings everything you would need in a family SUV: safety, technology, comfort, unrivaled economy and that all important space, plus a 10 Year Powertrain Warranty † . Call 03 379 0588 or visit christchurchmitsubishi.co.nz RRP WAS $41,990 +ORC *Price listed is for Outlander LS 2.4L 2wd and excludes on road costs of $650 which includes registration, WoF and a full tank of fuel. Available while stocks last. † Visit mmnz.co.nz for full Diamond Advantage warranty conditions. CHRISTCHURCH MITSUBISHI 386 Moorhouse Avenue, Christchurch | 03 379 0588 | christchurchmitsubishi.co.nz • BLACK 18” ALLOY WHEELS & EXTERIOR HIGHLIGHTS DRIVE • A CLASS NEW LEADING FUEL ECONOMY • APPLE CARPLAY® & ANDROID AUTO • 5 STAR SAFETY RATING NISSAN STOCK AVAILABLE TODAY AGILITY MEETS SMARTS AVAILABLE FROM $33,990 * STOCK AVAILABLE NOW *Price shown is for the Nissan Qashqai ST excludes on road costs of $1,250 which includes registration, WoF and a full tank of fuel. CHRISTCHURCH NISSAN, 380 Moorhouse Avenue, Christchurch Ph: 03 595 6820 www.christchurchnissan.co.nz NAVARA SL-450 LIMITED EDITION • BLACK 18” ALLOY WHEELS & EXTERIOR HIGHLIGHTS • CLASS LEADING FUEL ECONOMY • APPLE CARPLAY® & ANDROID AUTO • 5 STAR SAFETY RATING christchurchnissan.co.nz
www.grcaudio.co.nz 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan TSi CAR AUDIO h tp: /kaywa.me/8aVDQ Download the Kaywa Qr Code reader (A p Store &Android market) and scan your code! my Kaywa Qr-Code w.valuecarswarehouse.co.nz My Kaywa QR-Code w.valuecarswarehouse.co.nz Thursday <strong>September</strong> 9 <strong>2021</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> 25 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. <strong>The</strong> 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. <strong>The</strong> IS series has just had a fairly big makeover. <strong>The</strong> changes are too numerous to detail at length, but I can report the list is very comprehensive. <strong>The</strong> 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. <strong>The</strong>se 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. <strong>The</strong> 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. 153 years trusted... has motoring covered. 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