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2021 Lexus IS First Drive | A model remodel

The Lexus IS has now been with us for more than two decades. First introduced in 1999, it celebrated its 21st birthday this year and, to mark the occasion, Lexus hit the compact sedan with a significant overhaul, including a revamped powertrain lineup, an updated interior, and a much-needed tech update in an attempt to keep the sporty four-door relevant in a market that craves crossovers and SUVs. So, first things first: The 2021 Lexus IS is not actually new. In fact, Lexus still refers to it as a third-generation car internally, despite the “redesign” and repositioning for 2021, which is ultimately more about the products elsewhere in the Lexus lineup, rather than the IS itself. WeÂ’ll come back to that. Unveiled in June, the 2021 IS model range has been pared down to just two models, the IS 300 and IS 350 F-Sport. The highlight of the standard equipment sheet is an 8-inch touchscreen that's nearly 5.5 inches closer to the driver than the outgoing modelÂ’s. A 10.3-inch touchscreen is available as an upgrade, and perhaps most notably, the IS is finally available with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration suites. Despite the common name and number, however, the IS 300 is in fact offered with two very different engines depending on how many wheels are driven. Power for the rear-wheel-drive IS 300 comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four, which develops 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It's bolted to an eight-speed automatic transmission. With the IS 300 AWD (pictured below), all-wheel drive is paired with a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 good for 260 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque, and a six-speed automatic transmission. Nothing confusing about that, is there? 2021_Lexus_IS_300_AWD_Blue_004 View 9 Photos Thankfully, things are a bit more normal with the IS 350 F Sport. Its high-output V6 is alive and well, with its naturally aspirated displacement of 3.5 liters and an output of 311 horses and 280 pound-feet of twist. It's the same engine regardless of drivetrain, though rear-wheel drive is still tied to the eight-speed automatic while all-wheel drive gets the six-speed. The quickest variant is the RWD model, which will crack off a run to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. The AWD variant is intended to be an all-weather option, not a performance enhancer. The observant reader will note that we keep referring to the IS 350 F Sport, rather than simply the IS 350.

Lexus to open stores with branded accessories [w/video]

Trying to build a boutique buying atmosphere with a large-volume premium brand isn't easy, but Lexus is attempting to do just that by introducing its new Intersect By Lexus dealership experience. This aspect of Lexus retailing has nothing to do with cars and everything to do with luxury lifestyle accessories. Intersect By Lexus is effectively an all-in-one shopping destination for high-quality, hand-crafted designer products, many of them created specifically for the marque, right down to their "Crafted for Lexus" branding.
The first Intersect By Lexus store will open at the end of this month in Tokyo, with other stores planned for New York and Dubai. Going over the first store's initial product list, it seems that each store will offer wares that reflect its location. Some of the products available at Intersect By Lexus Tokyo include a $400 minimalist LED desk light, hand-sewn $286 tablet cover and a $133 drip coffeemaker and cup set handmade from the ash of Japan's Sakurajima volcano. Scroll down for a short video showing how some of these products were made.

2015 Lexus LS gets tighter turning radius, new infotainment

Go back a couple of decades and the thought of a Japanese automaker challenging the German limousines would have seemed laughable, but 25 years later the Lexus LS is a mainstay of the luxury sedan market. And it didn't get there by sitting on its laurels, so it should come as little surprise that Lexus is offering some small tweaks as it enters the 2015 model year.
This time around the upgrades are rather minor, consisting primarily of a new multimedia system. It's got an updated navigation system with 12.3-inch display, revised backup camera imagery with dynamic gridlines, and an enhanced Lexus Enform App Suite that can control the locks, ignition, climate control and more, remotely.
While they were at it, Toyota's engineers also reduced the turning circle by four inches (on cars fitted with 18-inch wheels), and enhanced the F Sport package as well. Otherwise, it's essentially the same LS we've always known.