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2016 Lexus IS gets revised engine lineup

Look, the old Lexus IS 250 sucked. With a slow, heavy, underpowered, thirsty, 2.5-liter V6 under hood, our own managing editor, Steven Ewing, dubbed it Jennifer Slowpez in his review. While we celebrate its death, we're raising our glass towards a far smarter lineup for Lexus' entry level sedan. As previously reported, the new rear-drive-only IS 200t steps in at the bottom of the range. You can read all about it in our original post from late last month. Today's news focuses on the V6. While the 3.5-liter V6 from the IS 350 will soldier on unchanged, Lexus is adding a detuned variant of Toyota's popular six-cylinder to create the IS 300 AWD. Where the IS 350 pumps out 306 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque, the all-wheel-drive-only IS 300 comes to party with a more relaxed 255 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. That's still a hell of a lot more power than the old IS 250 AWD, which offered just 204 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque. So, there we have it – IS 200t, IS 300 AWD, IS 350, and IS 350 AWD. And of course, Lexus' performance minded F Sport package is available regardless of engine, giving owners a sharper and more stylish character for their sedan. You can check out the nitty gritty details on Lexus' rejiggering of the IS range below. Lexus IS Sport Sedan Gets Revved Up In 2016 With Three Available Engines 2.0L Twin-Scroll Turbocharged Gas Engine for New IS 200t New 3.5L V6 Engine Provides More Options for All-Weather Drive with IS 300 AWD Agile Handling Throughout IS Lineup Available F SPORT Package Heightens Driving Experience July 24, 2015 2016 Lexus IS Sedan Product Information The Lexus IS luxury sport sedan models will continue to delight drivers with their balance of luxury, agility and sportiness as they enter 2016 model year with a three model strategy with IS 200t, IS 300 AWD, and IS 350. The former IS 250 and IS 250 AWD are discontinued. The IS adds to its stable of engines and receives a turbocharged gas engine, bringing the number of engine alternatives to three. Drivers will have a hard time deciding which IS to take home with rear-wheel drive (RWD), all-weather drive (AWD) and F SPORT variants. The new IS 200t, available as RWD only, features a 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine with intercooler paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine cranks out 241 hp and has 258 lb.-ft. torque at 1,650-4,400 rpm.

8 things you should know about the Lexus LC 500h powertrain

Lexus unveiled the LC 500h today in The Netherlands, and I got to take a look inside its new hybrid system. On one hand it seems like a box of magic – it combines two seemingly incompatible transmission types into one package. But that's also the ingenious simplicity of the thing. We don't have all of the details on how it all works yet, but here's a rundown of the high points.Efficient business in front, low-key party in the back. What makes it all work is the mullet of transmissions. For the new hybrid transmission, Lexus used the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive/Lexus Hybrid System – which consists of an e-CVT with a planetary gearset and two electric motors (one for charging the battery, the other for motivation and regen) – and grafted a conventional four-speed automatic onto the back. The two units actually coexist in one package, with the e-CVT making things efficient and the automatic expanding the capabilities. So at the low end, the system can deliver more torque, and the engine can also run at lower rpm on the highway. It's all thanks to those fixed gear ratios, and it's surprisingly simple.Except it's not that simple. This is where the virtual gear ratios come in. Like current Lexus hybrids, the system has ratios it can call up with the e-CVT. In this case, there are six virtual ratios to complement the four real physical ratios, for a total of 10 "gears" at the transmission's disposal. (Not coincidentally, the V8 LC 500 coupe has a 10-speed automatic.) One of the four fixed gears is always engaged when the car is moving, so the 10 ratios come about from combinations of what the e-CVT in front and the automatic in the back are doing. In other words, all 10 ratios are variations on the four fixed gear ratios, which means that all 10 gears could be considered virtual.It won't use all the gears all the time. In Eco mode, the car will start off on electric power and skip the first couple of "gears." When it's set to Sport or Sport +, the engine will be engaged from a stop and the transmission will select the lowest ratio. The sportier modes will also ignore the top couple of gear ratios.It can drive faster with the engine off. In a Lexus GS 450h with the Lexus Hybrid System, for example, at speeds above 62 mph or so the engine has to start up. This is because something needs to take up some slack from the battery-charging motor-generator or else it will start spinning too quickly.

Lexus boots up early NX configurator

Lexus is ramping up to launch its NX luxury compact crossover. Its international website just launched a teaser page for the CUV that shows off the available models and some nifty new photos of the upcoming vehicle on location. The site also includes an early configurator to allow potential customers to imagine their future NX.
Unfortunately, the configurator is quite bare bones at the moment. It only allows users to choose from 4 trims, 10 colors and 3 wheel designs. You can't do anything to the interior, and there are no options. Pricing is still a mystery as well.
We do know that in the US the NX is offered with either the company's new 2.0-liter four-cylinder, turbocharged engine with a six-speed automatic or a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain. The F Sport package is also available with either engine for a dash more sport in your crossover.