Lexus unleashes fast & furious all-new IS sports sedan

MANILA, Philippines - After an hour of detailed technical presentations inside a trackside airconditioned tent, I was fortunate to draw the all-new 2014 IS 350 F Sport top-of-the-line model as my very first drive of five comparison cars which included the previous generation IS 300, the current Mercedes C-class, a late-model but previous-generation BMW 3-series, and the base new IS 350 model.  

From behind the wheel, the new IS 350 delivered exactly what the presentation promised. The cabin was indeed luxuriously and sportingly appointed. And it was substantially more spacious (rear seat legroom was one of the previous-generations IS’s Achilles’ heels)—thanks to a wheelbase stretch of nearly three inches and width that grows by half an inch.

The instrument panel is practically straight out of an LFA (Lexus’s hyper-fast exotic supercar). The IS 350 F Sport model inherits the innovative TFT instrumentation with moving center ring from the LFA. The F Sport’s quilted leather bucket seats are as comfortable as they are cossetting—the reddish brown color of the cowhides straight out of a Porsche or Audi palette. It’s not just the instrument panel that’s LFA-inspired—the whole cabin is reminiscent of Lexus’s supercar, with a driver-focused cockpit and enhanced rear seat roominess and luggage capacity. Added practicality comes from the 60:40-split-folding rear seat while even more luxury comes from soft-touch finishes throughout, including padding on the center console sides.

But it’s the sheetmetal that will really turn heads. Lexus unveiled the new IS with a bold design highlighted by the new dynamic chrome-framed three-dimensional signature spindle grille and for the first time, separated LED Daytime Running Lights. A combination of “aggressive elegance,” a more powerful road presence, and a stronger brand identity help make the new IS models more compelling than ever.

Thanks to a substantially more rigid body, the new IS provides a more dynamic driving experience with enhanced stability and body control while delivering improved ride comfort. New laser-screw welding and adhesive body-bonding techniques, along with additional spot welding, have made the higher rigidity possible. An all-new multilink rear suspension, revised front suspension (with a 20-percent increase in sway rigidity), and steering derived from the well-received midsize GS sport sedan are adopted for the smaller IS and enable it to deliver scintillating handling on the challenging Clark Speedway. (I’ll reserve comments on riding comfort when I’ve tested the IS on our markedly less paved city streets.) The high-and ultra-high-tensile steel body structure also help provide excellent occupant protection.

The two IS models available for 2014, the P2.548M IS 350 and the P3.058M IS 350 F SPORT, both bristle with potent 3.5-liter V6 engines with D4-S direct fuel injection. The 3.5-liter engine produces 306 hp @ 6,400rpm and 277 lb.-ft. torque @ 4,800rpm. The base IS 350 inherits the 8-speed, Sport Direct Shift (SPDS) automatic from the IS F high-performance model. This transmission features paddle shifters and the G-force Artificial Intelligence (G-AI) system, which automatically selects the optimum gear and downshift pattern in response to G force.

A new Drive Mode Select system features up to four driving modes tailored to meet the river’s preferred combination of economy, comfort, performance, and handling characteristics. The IS 350 features ECO, NORMAL, and SPORT modes, while the IS 350 F SPORT features four drive modes: ECO, NORMAL, SPORT S, and SPORT S+.

The F SPORT package includes unique LFA-inspired 18-inch wheels (the base IS 350 comes with 17-inch alloy wheels) and special suspension tuning, plus unique interior and exterior design. The Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) featured on IS 350 F SPORT allows the driver to fine tune the IS F SPORT’s ride characteristics with a choice of two settings; Normal, for everyday driving comfort, and SPORT S or SPORT S+ mode, for optimized body control and agility. Exclusive for the F SPORT is an intake sound generator that creates a delightfully racy engine sound, something that made itself well-known from repeated pedal-to-the-metal acceleration runs as I flung the F Sport from corner to corner on the track. 

New luxuries abound inside the 2014 Lexus IS. A high-efficiency dual-zone climate control system uses new, touch-sensitive electrostatic temperature switches. The IS offers two multimedia systems: a standard 4.2-inch high-resolution multi-info Lexus Display Audio (LDA) with controller or the F SPORT-exclusive Lexus navigation system. The navigation system is operated via Lexus Remote Touch Interface (RTI) multi-function control, which also allows control of the climate, audio, phone controls and more.

Ten airbags are standard—two-stage dual front airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, front and rear side airbags, as well as full-length side curtain airbags. The IS models employ the innovative Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) system, which integrates ABS, Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Traction Control (TRAC) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) active safety systems with the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) or, for the IS 350 F SPORT, Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS). The new models add as standard a unique Auto Location Tire Pressure Warning System.

On the track, the IS 350 F Sport was simply phenomenal. Acceleration was fierce, hurtling the luxury sport compact to 100 km/h in a fraction more than six seconds—sports car territory. Cornering and braking were equally accomplished. Braking too late or missing an apex was never a problem; the car and its thoroughly developed chassis were simply imperturbable.

The less sporting IS 350 base model (if the term “base” can be used for such a luxuriously equipped car), felt decidedly less sporty, thanks to absence of the F Sport’s intake sound generator and its more luxury-oriented suspension, wheels, and tires. It does have the same engine and gearbox, so the forward thrust is just as strong, if a bit more refined aurally.

The compact luxury class has been getting hotter and hotter. With Lexus’s new IS 350, it’s about to go nuclear.