Sharp saloon means business

Steven Chisholm tests Japan’s answer to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class

To misquote Alan Partridge; “It’s amazing you don’t see more Lex-i around”.

It’s still early in the year, but according to SMMT, with 10 different models in the current range only 887 Lexus cars (at the time of writing) have been sold this year to date. Compare that to Mercedes-Benz, who have sold 11,891 units, or BMW who have shifted 9,000.

In fact, of the main premium brands operating in the UK - discounting your Bentleys and Aston Martins – which are, of course, a class apart – only DS and Infiniti have sold fewer cars than Lexus, and they are both relatively new players in the UK as standalone brands.

That’s not to say the brand is underperforming, but our recent test car – the Lexus IS 300h Premier – is every bit as good looking as a BMW 3 Series or Mercedes-Benz CClass and benefits from the Toyota group’s reputation for reliability and its established support network. Why don’t we see more?

The 300h starts at £33,995, but our test car rings in at £41,485. The model underwent revisions last year, with changes Lexus says “demonstrate a commitment to achieving the best possible dynamic performance and refined styling”.

It was a fairly comprehensive refresh too. New lightweight suspension components and adjustments to the coil springs, shock absorbers and anti-roll bar have been fitted to improve handling.

Safety equipment has been brought up to date with features such a blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert – which warns drivers of potentially unseen hazards.

In the cabin some of the controls have been moved around and switchgear swapped out for higher quality materials. A larger 10.3-inch highresolution monitor for the Lexus Premium Navigation multimedia system has been added along with new precision laser-etched dark wood trim inserts.

That navigation and multimedia system is controlled via a trackpad/mouse set-up on the centre console. It takes a bit of getting used to and I can’t help but wonder if a left hander might find it easier to use.

New alloy wheel designs, new colour choices for the exterior and the cabin and a more powerful 10-speaker Pioneer Premium Sound audio package round out the changes made to the third generation IS, which first hit the market back in 2013.

Despite only minor tweaks to its exterior in the last five years, it’s still a striking car to look at – particularly in profile. There’s an elegance to the looks which hints at precision engineering and nimbleness.

The handling doesn’t disappoint that first impression and the well-weighted steering and stiff chassis makes for an engaging drive on winding roads. The emphasis is still on comfort though, and there is enough body roll to keep everything on the right side of sporty.

In the city, the CVT gearbox works well too and the smooth delivery of power from the 2.5-litre hybrid engine takes the edge off the stop-start driving of the urban commute.

With 220bhp on tap the Lexus should be plenty of fun outside the city, however putting your foot down highlights the limitations of the CVT gearbox, which is hesitant to respond to the throttle at times and can result in an array of odd noises which mar the otherwise refined experience.

In an end of the market still dominated by the big German players, the IS 300h is still something of a leftfield choice.

Don’t be fooled by its billing as a sports saloon though. This is a car that’s at its best during a relaxed waft around town, not an M3 or AMG rival.

But if you’re looking for something that’s good looking, relaxed, refined around the city and engaging to drive there’s a lot to recommend about it.

Mercedes-Benz might be topping the premium sector sales charts so far this year but, as Alan Partridge says; “Lexus is the Japanese Mercedes”.