2021+ Lexus IS - General Discussion

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Lexus has started teasing the next-generation Lexus IS (XE40?), which is set to be unveiled on June 9th:


With the image brightened, you get a better view of what to expect:
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That rear light setup definitely does not seem familiar at all...
 
Rear light setup is carryover design from the UX. Seems like it could be a styling trait they're going to adopt for other models.
 
My first thought was, "I wonder how large the grille is going to be this time". I have a sneaking suspicious that it'll be just as horrid, if not worse, than the upcoming 4-Series.
 
I never warmed up to the current IS. It just looks...bad. I'm actually a little surprised they are going forward with this after canceling the GS. Looks like the Japanese compact executive class is still kicking. The lease market for them is probably very strong still. I wonder if Infiniti will make an effort in the next Q50 (or whatever they call it).
 
Rear light setup is carryover design from the UX. Seems like it could be a styling trait they're going to adopt for other models.

Yeah I think just as the spindle grille is our brand look for the front, this all across the rear light setup will make it into other models.
 
The current IS has grown on me and I now find it quite handsome...

I find it under-rated now and its design still have at least another 5-7 years looking fresh..

The new rear look promising.
 
Lexus has announced the reveal has been postponed to a later date past June 9th out of respect for current events.
 
Same. Exact. Interior. Wow.

I traded my Lexus in because of how old it felt. Design and tech wise. Went back to Audi.
 
It's not quite exactly the same interior. They have put a touchscreen in it and changed the outer a/c vents. But still the same instrument cluster, radio, and a/c controls, and basic dash design. I can't really tell that much difference on the outside except for that rear light bar and changing to a UX style headlight design.
 
2021 Lexus IS is being announced live now





EDIT:
There is a free Gran Turismo "plug-in" within the first 5 min LOL

For a moment i thought GT7 will be mentioned!.....

Maybe this car will be in GT7, could even be the Art Cover car lol


Looks really good i think !
 
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2021 Lexus IS officially unveiled now. Unfortunately, it's a mere facelift and not an all-new generation. 2013 wasn't that long ago, right?

Though it's a bit dated both inside and out, I do think it's an improvement over the pre-facelift model in terms of looks. Not sure how much sales will increase, though.

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At least when Cadillac made a big deal about their "100% definitely all new CT4 on its definitely different chassis from the Camaro and ATS" they put a completely new interior in it. This was something that Lexus not only felt fit to make a big announcement about, but to delay that big announcement to make sure everyone was around to look at their mild facelift of their 6 year old car?
 
Correct me if I am wrong but I bet this is brand new car, new chassis, new exterior, and new interior...

It does look very similar inside out to the last car, but the only carry over are the engines....

I think they did everything, most of the redesign very well...

I am satisfied.
 
Correct me if I am wrong but I bet this is brand new car, new chassis, new exterior, and new interior...

It does look very similar inside out to the last car, but the only carry over are the engines....

I think they did everything, most of the redesign very well...

I am satisfied.
Naw, same chassis, just with your standard updates/improvements you would expect on a re-fresh. This is the basic summary of what's changed under the skin.
  • Driving performance enhanced through rigidity, chassis and suspension enhancements
 
Jalopnik says that Lexus spent most of their effort working on unsprung weight. Lighter wheels, lighter suspension components, etc; so it should drive better at least.
 
I stand corrected.

Although some of you say it's just some cosmetic, it's not light changes...

It's major changes for a refresh... But it's not a total redesign as I initially thought...
 
Lord is that interior dated compared to rivals. The exterior refresh is a decent effort though.
 
Taking a second look at this. You know...my favorite thing about the current Lexus IS was the design of the center console interface. They made the whole thing look like high end home audio equipment. This part right here:

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It just looks so right.

So without really changing anything else in the interior, they took that part, the nice part, and they cheesed it up with garish, 2015-spec gloss black plastic. Why would you do this Lexus? The matte brushed material looked 500x better and classier.

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It doesn't look anything like as well crafted now...that shiny ass paint reflecting all the imperfections of the material casting. Blegh. If you were to show me those two interiors without ever seeing them before, I'd say the bottom is the one that debuted back 7 years ago, and the top one is the refresh - (besides the infotainment). It's weird. The only reason I can think of for them doing this is cost cutting - overall the interior looks cheapened. Just look at the detailing of the vent above the center stack...the old car looks more refined. Same with the glove compartment latch and trim around the stack itself. I guess those margins are just too thin.
 
All they've basically done is to take some things over from the now discontinued GS350 F sport (19 inch wheels & Sport S+ driving mode, etc), changed the headlights & tail lights, tacked a touchscreen on it, and called it a day. The IS350 Dynamic Handling Package cars will probably be over $50k which is not where the bulk of sales were, at least in my area. Not having a 4 cylinder turbo model available in F sport trim I think is a mistake. An IS in non F Sport trim looks very basic indeed.

I think this will be the final update on this car before it's probably canceled within 5 years or sooner.
 
If the performance is up to par, these should sell very well off the bat. Still essentially a ISF which is what the enthusiast base has been wanting for years and this IS gen. is still fresh with the market.
 
Interesting. So it's got the same engine as the RC-F...but it's not an F-model. Intriguing. If they're leaving room for an F at the top then what the heck sort of engine are they planning? Turbskis? Knowing Toyota it's probably a hybrid F which would be sick...NA V8 howling at the top with hybrid torque-fill at the bottom. I'm about it.



Edit: I'm already more excited about this than the big stonkin CTS-V-Blackwing which is just as pedestrian looking but also uglier at the same time.
 
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