As is common with many car manufactures these days, Lexus has begun the development phase of its next IS premium sedan with a test mule that utilizes the body of the current model with the undercarriage of the new variant to assess the car’s mechanical parts without revealing its design.
This particular prototype that was freshly spied testing in Europe features slightly extended front-and rear-ends.
Believed to arrive in the market within the next two years, the 2014 Lexus IS will likely continue to be offered with a pair of V6 petrol engines at launch while the Toyota Group’s recent agreement with BMW should see the European market model being available with one or more four-cylinder diesel engines sourced from the Bavarian company.
The third generation IS should also debut the first hybrid variant of the series as the Toyota Group has pledged to increase its hybrid offerings throughout its range of models.
We still don’t know if Lexus will introduce a successor to the IS-F sport variant, which in its current form, is powered by a 416hp 5.0-liter V8 engine.
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