Lexus has officially teased a new IS, which they say will be officially revealed on the 10th of June 2020. This will be the fourth generation of the IS nameplate, which competes in the compact executive segment against rivals such as the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Volvo S60 and Audi A4. Unlike the S60 and A4, the IS has adopted a rear-wheel drive setup with a longitudinally mounted engine more akin to the market leaders from BMW and Mercedes-Benz since its introduction in 1999. Lexus indicates that this setup will remain on the next IS.
The original IS was derived from the Toyota Altezza but has since become its own thing. The current model, has been around since the year 2013 and is based on the Toyota New N platform. While no details were shared on the new IS, it’s likely to sit on some variant to the Toyota New Global Architecture, perhaps the GA-N version which supports the IS’s powertrain configuration. The GA-N also underpins the 2nd generation Toyota Mirai and the current Toyota Crown.
Another possibility is that Lexus will move the IS into new territory starting with this generation. The bigger brother of the IS, the GS, has struggled to compete with the E-Class and 5 Series. Given its more practical ES has a good handle on the American and Chinese markets, there’s a strong rumour that the GS will soon be discontinued altogether. It’s possible the IS will be made to fill an in-between role, as Lexus can start to rely more on the UX compact crossover to fill up the bottom half of their product portfolio.
Again, that’s just speculation. Looking at actual facts… Well, from the teaser photo the only real thing we have to go on is the shape of the headlights, which join left and right clusters with a small break where the boot lines up. It’s a similar theme to that which was introduced in the UX, but with a more pronounced upturn at the ends.
Here’s the short press release from Lexus.
PRESS RELEASE
Lexus plans to hold the world premiere of the new Lexus compact FR sport sedan IS online at 8:00 am JST on June 10. The program will include a virtual press conference in the US, where it will debut at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time on June 9.
Ahead of this digital world premiere, please enjoy a preview image of the New Lexus IS.
