Rendered: The Next-Generation Lexus IS Sedan

Posted by Kevin on October 5th, 2018

Renderings of the next-generation Lexus IS are a favorite of the Japanese automotive press — this attempt by (a currently unknown) magazine was posted yesterday by a Lexus fan on Instagram:

Lexus IS Rear Next-Generation

The differences between this photochop and the existing model are minimal — the only changes are with the front and rear bumpers, making this rendering seem more like a mid-cycle refresh. That said, the design of the current IS sedan has never been a weakness, and maintaining some consistency across generations would not be a bad move.

The magazine mentions a 2021 release along with some preliminary dimensions:

Lexus IS Dimensions Next-Generation

Compared to the current model, the next-generation IS length and wheelbase would grow by 4cm, with all other measurements staying the same. Also mentioned is a 2.5L engine with 181 horsepower, which makes absolutely no sense and I’m choosing to ignore.

FeaturesLexus IS: Third GenerationPhotochops
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Comments
MichaelL
I know I am not going to make many friends here with my comment.... but, I think Lexus needs to get the IS replacement out as fast as possible. The current car is not competitive with the A4, 3 series, C Class etc.... all the magazines call this out. Even consumer reports is not a fan. Car and Driver has the IS as the 10th best car in the class. This is one of the reasons why the sales numbers are decreasing, along with the illogical shift to SUVs. Waiting until 2020 seems like a mistake. Let's see what the sales numbers are the next couple of years with this model....

I agree weight reduction should be a priority in the next model, I also feel a major interior upgrade is in order as well.
MichaelL
I know I am not going to make many friends here with my comment.... but, I think Lexus needs to get the IS replacement out as fast as possible. The current car is not competitive with the A4, 3 series, C Class etc.... all the magazines call this out. Even consumer reports is not a fan. Car and Driver has the IS as the 10th best car in the class. This is one of the reasons why the sales numbers are decreasing, along with the illogical shift to SUVs. Waiting until 2020 seems like a mistake. Let's see what the sales numbers are the next couple of years with this model....

I agree weight reduction should be a priority in the next model, I also feel a major interior upgrade is in order as well.
Tragic Bronson
MichaelL
I know I am not going to make many friends here with my comment.... but, I think Lexus needs to get the IS replacement out as fast as possible. The current car is not competitive with the A4, 3 series, C Class etc.... all the magazines call this out. Even consumer reports is not a fan. Car and Driver has the IS as the 10th best car in the class. This is one of the reasons why the sales numbers are decreasing, along with the illogical shift to SUVs. Waiting until 2020 seems like a mistake. Let's see what the sales numbers are the next couple of years with this model....

I agree weight reduction should be a priority in the next model, I also feel a major interior upgrade is in order as well.
It had to be said...I don't want to say that the styling is what hurt the vehicle, but it isn't stopping many buyers from leasing the Germans. As much as I want to say they're still a popular choice for buyers where I live, that is just a microcosm of total sales in the nation. Did the Germans pull the stops to incentivize their leases?

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2017/12/small-midsize-luxury-cars-sales-america-november-2017/
Tragic Bronson
MichaelL
I know I am not going to make many friends here with my comment.... but, I think Lexus needs to get the IS replacement out as fast as possible. The current car is not competitive with the A4, 3 series, C Class etc.... all the magazines call this out. Even consumer reports is not a fan. Car and Driver has the IS as the 10th best car in the class. This is one of the reasons why the sales numbers are decreasing, along with the illogical shift to SUVs. Waiting until 2020 seems like a mistake. Let's see what the sales numbers are the next couple of years with this model....

I agree weight reduction should be a priority in the next model, I also feel a major interior upgrade is in order as well.
It had to be said...I don't want to say that the styling is what hurt the vehicle, but it isn't stopping many buyers from leasing the Germans. As much as I want to say they're still a popular choice for buyers where I live, that is just a microcosm of total sales in the nation. Did the Germans pull the stops to incentivize their leases?

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2017/12/small-midsize-luxury-cars-sales-america-november-2017/
james_m300
MichaelL
I know I am not going to make many friends here with my comment.... but, I think Lexus needs to get the IS replacement out as fast as possible. The current car is not competitive with the A4, 3 series, C Class etc.... all the magazines call this out. Even consumer reports is not a fan. Car and Driver has the IS as the 10th best car in the class. This is one of the reasons why the sales numbers are decreasing, along with the illogical shift to SUVs. Waiting until 2020 seems like a mistake. Let's see what the sales numbers are the next couple of years with this model....

I agree weight reduction should be a priority in the next model, I also feel a major interior upgrade is in order as well.
actually, i think a lot of us including me as an IS owner, agree with your statement. every other car in this segment had significant power bumps which the IS needs as well, and sales will decrease more and more until they push the new model out
james_m300
MichaelL
I know I am not going to make many friends here with my comment.... but, I think Lexus needs to get the IS replacement out as fast as possible. The current car is not competitive with the A4, 3 series, C Class etc.... all the magazines call this out. Even consumer reports is not a fan. Car and Driver has the IS as the 10th best car in the class. This is one of the reasons why the sales numbers are decreasing, along with the illogical shift to SUVs. Waiting until 2020 seems like a mistake. Let's see what the sales numbers are the next couple of years with this model....

I agree weight reduction should be a priority in the next model, I also feel a major interior upgrade is in order as well.
actually, i think a lot of us including me as an IS owner, agree with your statement. every other car in this segment had significant power bumps which the IS needs as well, and sales will decrease more and more until they push the new model out
S
Lexus is rebuilding the brand top-down. It's very likely they will keep focusing on the flagships (and obviously the cash cows) for a while.
S
Lexus is rebuilding the brand top-down. It's very likely they will keep focusing on the flagships (and obviously the cash cows) for a while.
Trexus
james_m300
i hope the 4IS addresses the weight issues mentioned here, and the lag of the 2 liter turbo engine i think they should offer these models:
IS300 RWD
IS300 AWD (w/ refined 2 liter engine)
IS350/400 RWD (TTV6)
IS350/400 AWD (TTV6)
IS-F (TTV6 ~450-500 HP)
I agree Lexus needs to expand the IS line to include an IS F to compete with the M3, also bring the IS 300h to North America as well and bring back the IS Sportcross (wagon).

IS 300h
IS 300 RWD
IS 300 AWD
IS 350/400 RWD
IS 350/400 AWD
IS F
IS Sportcross (wagon)
IS F Sportcross
Trexus
james_m300
i hope the 4IS addresses the weight issues mentioned here, and the lag of the 2 liter turbo engine i think they should offer these models:
IS300 RWD
IS300 AWD (w/ refined 2 liter engine)
IS350/400 RWD (TTV6)
IS350/400 AWD (TTV6)
IS-F (TTV6 ~450-500 HP)
I agree Lexus needs to expand the IS line to include an IS F to compete with the M3, also bring the IS 300h to North America as well and bring back the IS Sportcross (wagon).

IS 300h
IS 300 RWD
IS 300 AWD
IS 350/400 RWD
IS 350/400 AWD
IS F
IS Sportcross (wagon)
IS F Sportcross
meth.ix
Trexus
I agree Lexus needs to expand the IS line to include an IS F to compete with the M3, also bring the IS 300h to North America as well and bring back the IS Sportcross (wagon).

IS 300h
IS 300 RWD
IS 300 AWD
IS 350/400 RWD
IS 350/400 AWD
IS F
IS Sportcross (wagon)
IS F Sportcross
Even an IS SportCross in America is pushing it, let alone an F variant, sure it'd make lots of the M3 Wagon fans happy, but it just makes no sense financially.
meth.ix
Trexus
I agree Lexus needs to expand the IS line to include an IS F to compete with the M3, also bring the IS 300h to North America as well and bring back the IS Sportcross (wagon).

IS 300h
IS 300 RWD
IS 300 AWD
IS 350/400 RWD
IS 350/400 AWD
IS F
IS Sportcross (wagon)
IS F Sportcross
Even an IS SportCross in America is pushing it, let alone an F variant, sure it'd make lots of the M3 Wagon fans happy, but it just makes no sense financially.
meth.ix
Trexus
I agree Lexus needs to expand the IS line to include an IS F to compete with the M3, also bring the IS 300h to North America as well and bring back the IS Sportcross (wagon).

IS 300h
IS 300 RWD
IS 300 AWD
IS 350/400 RWD
IS 350/400 AWD
IS F
IS Sportcross (wagon)
IS F Sportcross
Even an IS SportCross in America is pushing it, let alone an F variant, sure it'd make lots of the M3 Wagon fans happy, but it just makes no sense financially.
krew
MichaelL
I know I am not going to make many friends here with my comment.... but, I think Lexus needs to get the IS replacement out as fast as possible. The current car is not competitive with the A4, 3 series, C Class etc.... all the magazines call this out. Even consumer reports is not a fan. Car and Driver has the IS as the 10th best car in the class. This is one of the reasons why the sales numbers are decreasing, along with the illogical shift to SUVs. Waiting until 2020 seems like a mistake. Let's see what the sales numbers are the next couple of years with this model....
james_m300
actually, i think a lot of us including me as an IS owner, agree with your statement. every other car in this segment had significant power bumps which the IS needs as well, and sales will decrease more and more until they push the new model out
The only reason I don't want to see a new IS sooner is because of my current lease -- only reason whatsoever. Honestly, I think the product pipeline is full until 2020.
krew
MichaelL
I know I am not going to make many friends here with my comment.... but, I think Lexus needs to get the IS replacement out as fast as possible. The current car is not competitive with the A4, 3 series, C Class etc.... all the magazines call this out. Even consumer reports is not a fan. Car and Driver has the IS as the 10th best car in the class. This is one of the reasons why the sales numbers are decreasing, along with the illogical shift to SUVs. Waiting until 2020 seems like a mistake. Let's see what the sales numbers are the next couple of years with this model....
james_m300
actually, i think a lot of us including me as an IS owner, agree with your statement. every other car in this segment had significant power bumps which the IS needs as well, and sales will decrease more and more until they push the new model out
The only reason I don't want to see a new IS sooner is because of my current lease -- only reason whatsoever. Honestly, I think the product pipeline is full until 2020.
krew
MichaelL
I know I am not going to make many friends here with my comment.... but, I think Lexus needs to get the IS replacement out as fast as possible. The current car is not competitive with the A4, 3 series, C Class etc.... all the magazines call this out. Even consumer reports is not a fan. Car and Driver has the IS as the 10th best car in the class. This is one of the reasons why the sales numbers are decreasing, along with the illogical shift to SUVs. Waiting until 2020 seems like a mistake. Let's see what the sales numbers are the next couple of years with this model....
james_m300
actually, i think a lot of us including me as an IS owner, agree with your statement. every other car in this segment had significant power bumps which the IS needs as well, and sales will decrease more and more until they push the new model out
The only reason I don't want to see a new IS sooner is because of my current lease -- only reason whatsoever. Honestly, I think the product pipeline is full until 2020.
B
I've been driving an IS since 2008 and the lack of HP has always been an issue. As is the gas mileage. But I'm keeping my current 2015 to term for the first time because I refuse to let go of my Matador Red Mica and my RWD normally aspirated V6. The move to the turbo 4 and the exaggerated F Sport front end design are deal breakers for me.
I've been swayed towards two possibilities in the future, when my lease matures.
I positively love driving my 2015 ES350, and have always longed for any F Sport model. If they build it, V6, Matador Red Mica- I'm most likely going there.
If not, a recent rental experience with an Audi Q5 followed by a test drive of the newly redesigned and dominant 2018 Q5 would get the nod.
Pretty much bored with Lexus after 11 years and 8 cars. Recent interactions at the dealership in sales, service and body shop as well as my Lexus Enform being down for almost three months earlier this year and over three weeks up to a few days ago for unknown reasons requiring five follow up phone calls to get it functional point to severe slippage to an American car brand level.
My unwavering loyalty to the IS just isn't there anymore.
B
I've been driving an IS since 2008 and the lack of HP has always been an issue. As is the gas mileage. But I'm keeping my current 2015 to term for the first time because I refuse to let go of my Matador Red Mica and my RWD normally aspirated V6. The move to the turbo 4 and the exaggerated F Sport front end design are deal breakers for me.
I've been swayed towards two possibilities in the future, when my lease matures.
I positively love driving my 2015 ES350, and have always longed for any F Sport model. If they build it, V6, Matador Red Mica- I'm most likely going there.
If not, a recent rental experience with an Audi Q5 followed by a test drive of the newly redesigned and dominant 2018 Q5 would get the nod.
Pretty much bored with Lexus after 11 years and 8 cars. Recent interactions at the dealership in sales, service and body shop as well as my Lexus Enform being down for almost three months earlier this year and over three weeks up to a few days ago for unknown reasons requiring five follow up phone calls to get it functional point to severe slippage to an American car brand level.
My unwavering loyalty to the IS just isn't there anymore.
B
I've been driving an IS since 2008 and the lack of HP has always been an issue. As is the gas mileage. But I'm keeping my current 2015 to term for the first time because I refuse to let go of my Matador Red Mica and my RWD normally aspirated V6. The move to the turbo 4 and the exaggerated F Sport front end design are deal breakers for me.
I've been swayed towards two possibilities in the future, when my lease matures.
I positively love driving my 2015 ES350, and have always longed for any F Sport model. If they build it, V6, Matador Red Mica- I'm most likely going there.
If not, a recent rental experience with an Audi Q5 followed by a test drive of the newly redesigned and dominant 2018 Q5 would get the nod.
Pretty much bored with Lexus after 11 years and 8 cars. Recent interactions at the dealership in sales, service and body shop as well as my Lexus Enform being down for almost three months earlier this year and over three weeks up to a few days ago for unknown reasons requiring five follow up phone calls to get it functional point to severe slippage to an American car brand level.
My unwavering loyalty to the IS just isn't there anymore.
L
I honestly think Sedans/Wagons are dead, and with SUVs becoming Crossovers, the new car era tat has already started is a Crossover (at least until driverless pods for urban districts) in various sized and design elements. Remember what cars looked like before?

The first car was the carriage, a box on wheels.


The first cars with steam engines and ICE do not look very different, except for the lack of horses.

First cars then added mudguards above the wheels, then mudguards, became more integral to the cars' design. Later mudguards were no more visible and were completely integrated to into the car's design. Cars had metal bumpers, then plastic bumpers, then bumpers integrated with the whole car and became part of its design/shape. First cars had separate trunks/boots, then they got more flowing with the car until they completely intergrated and become a 3-box sedan. I am just mentioning some examples.



Now with electric drivetrains, and SUVs not really being off-road vehicles, they do not have to be boxy, and the layout changes completely. The new era of cars resembles this:



Lexus LF-UX and LF-1 show that also. As I already mentioned, the classical sedan has to redefine itself to succeed.
L
I honestly think Sedans/Wagons are dead, and with SUVs becoming Crossovers, the new car era tat has already started is a Crossover (at least until driverless pods for urban districts) in various sized and design elements. Remember what cars looked like before?

The first car was the carriage, a box on wheels.


The first cars with steam engines and ICE do not look very different, except for the lack of horses.

First cars then added mudguards above the wheels, then mudguards, became more integral to the cars' design. Later mudguards were no more visible and were completely integrated to into the car's design. Cars had metal bumpers, then plastic bumpers, then bumpers integrated with the whole car and became part of its design/shape. First cars had separate trunks/boots, then they got more flowing with the car until they completely intergrated and become a 3-box sedan. I am just mentioning some examples.



Now with electric drivetrains, and SUVs not really being off-road vehicles, they do not have to be boxy, and the layout changes completely. The new era of cars resembles this:



Lexus LF-UX and LF-1 show that also. As I already mentioned, the classical sedan has to redefine itself to succeed.
L
I honestly think Sedans/Wagons are dead, and with SUVs becoming Crossovers, the new car era tat has already started is a Crossover (at least until driverless pods for urban districts) in various sized and design elements. Remember what cars looked like before?

The first car was the carriage, a box on wheels.


The first cars with steam engines and ICE do not look very different, except for the lack of horses.

First cars then added mudguards above the wheels, then mudguards, became more integral to the cars' design. Later mudguards were no more visible and were completely integrated to into the car's design. Cars had metal bumpers, then plastic bumpers, then bumpers integrated with the whole car and became part of its design/shape. First cars had separate trunks/boots, then they got more flowing with the car until they completely intergrated and become a 3-box sedan. I am just mentioning some examples.



Now with electric drivetrains, and SUVs not really being off-road vehicles, they do not have to be boxy, and the layout changes completely. The new era of cars resembles this:



Lexus LF-UX and LF-1 show that also. As I already mentioned, the classical sedan has to redefine itself to succeed.
S
Levi
I honestly think Sedans/Wagons are dead, and with SUVs becoming Crossovers, the new car era tat has already started is a Crossover (at least until driverless pods for urban districts) in various sized and design elements.

As I already mentioned, the classical sedan has to redefine itself to succeed.
In a more general sense, variety is the result of a lack of optimization. The history of mankind has always been a history of optimization. Just like natural selection, inefficient artificial creations are eliminated or marginalized.

There is ONLY ONE efficient way to make cars, so as we become better and better at optimizing car designs, ineffcient designs get eliminated by the free market. This is already evident from the reduction of ICE variety: V4, I5, V10, V16, H6, and rotaries are heading to their graves; I6, V8, and V12 will follow a decade later, because the ONLY efficient ICE layout is I4 (I3 and V6 will have their niche, but that does not mean they are more efficient).

Similarly, sedans and wagons are doomed because crossovers are objectively more efficient as daily commuters. Minivans will stay because they are objectively the best people mover; pick-up trucks will stay because they are objectively the best cargo hauler. Sedan will basically be competing against coupe (also dying) for a tiny slice of the sportscar market, because apparently there will be more and more performance crossovers.

In the past we have all kinds of smartphone designs also with different OS, network, and internal components. Today all smartphones look the same, use the same component, and are compatible with all types of network. This is because that's the ONLY efficient way to build smartphones. All passenger aircraft are twin-engine, subsonic, and single decked, because that's the ONLY efficient way to build a passenger aircraft.

We as a civilization is becoming better and better at optimizing things, so variety will become a thing of the past.
S
Levi
I honestly think Sedans/Wagons are dead, and with SUVs becoming Crossovers, the new car era tat has already started is a Crossover (at least until driverless pods for urban districts) in various sized and design elements.

As I already mentioned, the classical sedan has to redefine itself to succeed.
In a more general sense, variety is the result of a lack of optimization. The history of mankind has always been a history of optimization. Just like natural selection, inefficient artificial creations are eliminated or marginalized.

There is ONLY ONE efficient way to make cars, so as we become better and better at optimizing car designs, ineffcient designs get eliminated by the free market. This is already evident from the reduction of ICE variety: V4, I5, V10, V16, H6, and rotaries are heading to their graves; I6, V8, and V12 will follow a decade later, because the ONLY efficient ICE layout is I4 (I3 and V6 will have their niche, but that does not mean they are more efficient).

Similarly, sedans and wagons are doomed because crossovers are objectively more efficient as daily commuters. Minivans will stay because they are objectively the best people mover; pick-up trucks will stay because they are objectively the best cargo hauler. Sedan will basically be competing against coupe (also dying) for a tiny slice of the sportscar market, because apparently there will be more and more performance crossovers.

In the past we have all kinds of smartphone designs also with different OS, network, and internal components. Today all smartphones look the same, use the same component, and are compatible with all types of network. This is because that's the ONLY efficient way to build smartphones. All passenger aircraft are twin-engine, subsonic, and single decked, because that's the ONLY efficient way to build a passenger aircraft.

We as a civilization is becoming better and better at optimizing things, so variety will become a thing of the past.
S
Levi
I honestly think Sedans/Wagons are dead, and with SUVs becoming Crossovers, the new car era tat has already started is a Crossover (at least until driverless pods for urban districts) in various sized and design elements.

As I already mentioned, the classical sedan has to redefine itself to succeed.
In a more general sense, variety is the result of a lack of optimization. The history of mankind has always been a history of optimization. Just like natural selection, inefficient artificial creations are eliminated or marginalized.

There is ONLY ONE efficient way to make cars, so as we become better and better at optimizing car designs, ineffcient designs get eliminated by the free market. This is already evident from the reduction of ICE variety: V4, I5, V10, V16, H6, and rotaries are heading to their graves; I6, V8, and V12 will follow a decade later, because the ONLY efficient ICE layout is I4 (I3 and V6 will have their niche, but that does not mean they are more efficient).

Similarly, sedans and wagons are doomed because crossovers are objectively more efficient as daily commuters. Minivans will stay because they are objectively the best people mover; pick-up trucks will stay because they are objectively the best cargo hauler. Sedan will basically be competing against coupe (also dying) for a tiny slice of the sportscar market, because apparently there will be more and more performance crossovers.

In the past we have all kinds of smartphone designs also with different OS, network, and internal components. Today all smartphones look the same, use the same component, and are compatible with all types of network. This is because that's the ONLY efficient way to build smartphones. All passenger aircraft are twin-engine, subsonic, and single decked, because that's the ONLY efficient way to build a passenger aircraft.

We as a civilization is becoming better and better at optimizing things, so variety will become a thing of the past.
L
Indeed. Bad new for those that can't fit in. I'm yet there with the two old smartphones, Nokia N8 and N9, the N8 with a camera unrivaled till today and the N9 with an OS unrivaled till today.

And yet with all this, I have ideas, costly but doable, to make Crossovers even better, but unfortunately most people accept mediocrity.
L
Indeed. Bad new for those that can't fit in. I'm yet there with the two old smartphones, Nokia N8 and N9, the N8 with a camera unrivaled till today and the N9 with an OS unrivaled till today.

And yet with all this, I have ideas, costly but doable, to make Crossovers even better, but unfortunately most people accept mediocrity.
L
Indeed. Bad new for those that can't fit in. I'm yet there with the two old smartphones, Nokia N8 and N9, the N8 with a camera unrivaled till today and the N9 with an OS unrivaled till today.

And yet with all this, I have ideas, costly but doable, to make Crossovers even better, but unfortunately most people accept mediocrity.
R
IMO, It’s improbable Lexus will can the GS to cause the brand’s lineup to be without a proper RWD 5-series/E-Class challenger, much like how the IS has been the designated 3-series fighter for Lexus.
R
IMO, It’s improbable Lexus will can the GS to cause the brand’s lineup to be without a proper RWD 5-series/E-Class challenger, much like how the IS has been the designated 3-series fighter for Lexus.

R