Lexus IS300H F Sport
Fantastically styled and built to last, the hybrid Lexus IS lacks only a charismatic drivetrain in its fight against the Germans
At first acquaintance, the 2021 Lexus IS sedan is one beautifully realised piece of personalised mobility. It has a body shell so solid it could well have been hewn from Belfast granite. It offers great communication through the steering wheel in an unflustered,
mature fashion, and the cabin is finished in top-notch materials, with no visible shortcuts in terms of panel fit or the fabrics used to lend it a super-premium appeal.
You realise all this at crawl speeds as you make your way through the suburbs. You don’t have to travel fast to appreciate
the inordinate amount of work that has gone into making this car ride wonderfully and feel reactive to steering inputs in the most unobtrusive fashion. Similarly, at commuting speeds, noise suppression is excellent, with respect to the mechanicals and the road surface.
The latest IS breaks new ground in that, for the first time, the entire range is powered by a hybrid powertrain only, with a continuously variable transmission directing power to the rear wheels. Prior to this, the IS was available with a 185 kw four-cylinder turbopetrol, a
rip-snorting naturally aspirated 232 kw V6 or a petrol-electric hybrid package in the IS 300h SE, delivering 164 kw in total.
This latter powertrain is similar to the one used for the 2021-spec IS 300h, in EX, SE and F Sport form. In reality, the F Sport tag refers rather to its appearance and equipment changes and gone is the ability to accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h in less than six seconds, as with the previous IS 350 F Sport.
The petrol engine in question is a 2,5-litre four-cylinder unit that produces 133 kw and 221 N.m from 4 200 to 5 400 r/min. Torque figures for the electric motor are not supplied but combined power output is rated at 164 kw. That’s substantially down on the outputs of the previous EX and F Sport, mind you, but presumably Lexus feels an “electrified” tag for the whole range is now more important than slick acceleration, razor-sharp throttle response and lofty top speeds.
It is true engine performance that is deemed “adequate” has taken preference in many modern vehicles. Svelte, unobtrusive power delivery is seen by many to be more desirable, as long as it is accompanied by improved fuel consumption. Lexus claims a combined figure of 5,20 L/100 km but we’d be surprised if this was a typical average realised on a daily basis. The reading after reset on the launch was 8,20 L/100 km, and while launch driving figures are typically heavy as journalists explore the performance on offer, we would think an overall figure in the region of 6,50 L/100 km would be a decent achievement.
Perhaps one of the reasons for this is the kerb weight. With the battery onboard to provide current to the electric motor, the IS weighs in at around 1 735 kg. That is hefty even for a car of this size; accelerating all that mass in a stop-start situation, ironically, requires more energy. Lexus has managed to reduce weight by using aluminium in certain areas – such as body-chassis panels and suspension components – but by comparison, the old IS 300 EX with a turbocharged petrol engine had a kerb weight of less than 1 600 kg. That electric motor and the batteries add more than 100 kg of weight.
You wouldn’t necessarily be aware of that heft in urban driving or highway cruising conditions. With a light throttle, the fourcylinder engine turns over at a mere 1 000 r/min at 120 km/h, but increase the pressure with your right foot and the CVT gearbox becomes instantly excited and ramps up revs to 3 000, possibly more. Stand on it to overtake and the revs spike markedly again, to 6 000 r/min.
The powertrain, as a whole, is the weakest link in a beautifully engineered car. The CVT has paddle shifters to ostensibly select intermediate “gear-steps” but selecting one of these merely raises the revs (and noise)
unnaturally and if you back off the throttle, it immediately shifts up a few steps back to “D”, where you are again at the mercy of its so-called “optimum torque function”. You quickly abandon the idea of using the paddles and simply live with the monosyllabic four-cylinder soundtrack that accompanies acceleration or uphill gradient driving. There are a lot of CVTS currently on the market that have overcome the droning problem, accurately simulating a pukka automatic transmission; with more time behind the wheel, the Lexus might turn out to be one of these, the proof will come when we get one on test.
In every other respect, the IS is a superb car. The styling is notable in its use of dramatic sharp edges and it manages to present an overall cohesive shape that is extremely arresting without being kitsch. You can choose between the EX and SE models if you feel the 18-inch alloy wheels are enough, while the F Sport model is denoted by a different grille, bespoke diffuser ornamentation at the rear and bigger, 19-inch alloy wheels.
Our advice, however, is to dive in at the bottom of the totem pole with the EX. The ride is better thanks to the 235/45 R18 rubber, as opposed to the R19s of the F Sport. These items are run flats but road noise suppression and overall comfort is impressive. The F Sport, incidentally, boasts additional trim such as a revised instrument panel where the revcounter and speedo are combined. The SE and F Sport models come with satellite navigation, voice control and LED headlamps, among other features.
Those into high style will appreciate the dual-tone upholstery in the F Sport; furthermore, on a practical tip, rear seat space is marginally better than that of the previous car but access to these pews is spoilt by the slightly lower roofline. A boot capacity of 450 litres is generous enough.
So, what’s the verdict? Well, the new Lexus IS is undoubtedly an attractive car, aimed at those who love to cause a stir with their mere arrival. In terms of the way it rides and handles, it is near faultless; however, the hybrid-cvt drivetrain ultimately lacks charisma. If you’re doing short urban trips, no problem, but not ideal for the open road.
Prices start at R841 300 for the EX, R899 800 for the SE, and R916 900 for the F Sport. Lexus offers a seven-year/105 000 km warranty/maintenance plan to sweeten the deal.