Lexus IS 250: Lexus has arrived. For years they've been knocking on the door of the premium market, bringing to it the strong engineering and reliability of parent Toyota.
Where they fell down was in design; the cars just didn't look as striking as those of competitors and there was a lack of a common design language between the models in the range.
That's now changing. The pursuit of perfection is the slogan and the Japanese brand has established itself as a worthy equal to the German triad. The carefully managed image of the previous model also suffered a dent in its PR when some unfortunate in Lexus UK thought it would be a smashing idea to let Steve Coogan use an IS for his show. "All publicity's good publicity, old chap." Unfortunately Coogan turned into Alan Partridge for the series and for a while the Lexus was the butt of a few jokes.
Still it got it on to the TV. After all, there's no shortage of jokes and jibes about BMW 3-Series and Audi A4 owners. So perhaps the marketing guy in Britain was right.
Either way, Lexus has worked hard to put its name into the melting pot of premium motoring.
It has worked, particularly with the new styling template for the range, known as L-Finesse. It has so far resulted in the good-looking GS range and now the IS. Both perfectly fit the characteristics of sophistication and style. When we first came across the new IS at the Geneva motor show earlier in the year, we thought it looked a bit like something from its Bavarian rival.
When we came across it again in Japan, our views were changing. However, it's only after a week of living with the car, and seeing it parked in our driveway and alongside its rivals in traffic that we realised just how good looking it is.
While Audi has lost its edge with the big grille on the A4, Lexus has got its styling just right. In particular, the rising lines on the side of the car and the tapering side window line give it a real eye-catching appeal.
Could this be the best looking car in its class? It's certainly capable of claiming that title.
Though the car is larger than before, it's still a four-seater and legroom in the back is only average for its class. Similarly the boot is adequate for general daily runs, but not as cavernous as one would expect given the increases in all-round dimensions.
Lexus prides itself on the small touches and there's no questioning the build quality of the new IS. If there's one area where you cannot fault the Japanese it's in reliability and finish. While the doors don't have the solid clunk of some of the German rivals, you just know that even in 20 years time you are more likely to see an IS on the road than some of the Teutonic rivals.
Our only disappointment at the aesthetics is with the interior. While the styling of the dials is better than in most of the competitors, the numbers are small and can be difficult to read, though there is an alert system that can be set to highlight if you exceed a set limit.
The least attractive feature is the shiny plastic of the central console, not on a par with the quality finish in the rest of the car, which also includes a passenger airbag indicator that's far too prominent. Admittedly everything is to hand and the ergonomics are good, particularly the cockpit feeling for the driver, aided by the high-set front division.
The major impediment to the IS's success may well be the limited engine options. While the first diesel option for the brand will arrive in January, the fact that the only petrol engine is a 2.5-litre will undoubtedly limit its appeal to an Irish audience, as well as limiting its potential in the fleet market.
There's no doubting the V6 is a great engine and when matched with the 6-speed automatic, it's as smooth as one would expect from a company that prides itself on refinement, as judged by the NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) criteria.
There's not a whisper from the engine until you push it above 3,000rpm, and not until over 5,000 do you really hear it growl into life. The sweetest sound is when it's touching the rev limit and the orange halo that rings the rev counter above 4,500rpm turns to red. If there is any cabin noise, it comes from the tyres, and on the sports version we drove - with low profile 18" alloys - there was a constant hum on the poor Irish surfaces.
The paddle shift system - standard with the autobox - is easy to use and at your fingertips. While most of these systems are merely decoration after the first few days of ownership, this system is so smooth it's worth using everyday. We would have liked to try the manual 6-speed as we were not particularly impressed by it during our first encounter. We'll get a chance to try it on the diesel version in the new year.
Handling is improved, though we'd still opt for the BMW in this regard and the ride quality was quite harsh, due to the sports suspension on our test car. It's not as rough as the equivalent Sport system in the BMW, but if you spend your time on non-national routes then the regular settings are a better choice. The steering is precise, if a little neutral compared to the Bavarian and not as fluid.
Safety is a strong feature in the IS, with the first twin chamber passenger airbag and a host of other features. While the vast majority of the safety features come as standard, the IS also offers its pre-crash system as an option. This ingenious system uses sensors in the front to estimate your speed against the distance of an unmoving object to predict you are going to hit it and it's not going to be pretty. So before it happens the seatbelts tighten and the airbags prepare for deployment. It's all a matter of milliseconds, but those little instances of time can be all-important when it's a wall you're heading towards. So is it the new leader of the pack? At this price, it faces some stiff competition as well from Audi's 2.litre turbo Quattro A4. We'd rate it higher than the rest of the 2.5-litre options in the €50,000 price bracket.
Ultimately, its main rival will be the BMW 3-Series and that's one of the toughest challenges any car can face. The problem for the Lexus is that the extremely limited engine range is a major handicap. A 2.5-litre petrol unit is too big to make the IS anything other than a marginal player. There is, of course, the 2.2-litre diesel, due here next month, but even then, while it's a welcome addition to the range, this model needs a 2-litre petrol option to make any real impact on the market.
It certainly has the looks, reliability can be taken as a given, and the fact it doesn't wear a German badge may be a draw to many. In its pursuit of perfection, Lexus has taken a major step in the right direction. It may not topple the 3-Series from its throne, but it certainly makes the shortlist.
