Well, that didn’t take long, did it? Only hours after a Chinese website spilled the beans on the new generation of the Lexus IS, the Japanese brand dropped a full set of photos revealing the executive compact saloon’s sharper exterior and interior styling, while keeping most other details under wraps until its world premiere at the Detroit auto show next week.
We’ve already established that the new 2014 IS’s exterior lines are very close to those of the LF-CC coupe concept, which was only to be expected since the latter will form the base for a two-door version of the series.
The same can be said about the interior design that brings more character to the new IS with inspiration from the LFA supercar, with Lexus adding that it has used higher quality cabin materials, trims and finishes throughout.
New tech features include a Lexus-first electrostatic switches that are said to need “just a finger touch” to adjust the air conditioning temperature. We’re also told that the driving position is sportier thanks to the lower seat hip point and the angle of the new steering wheel, with the latter offering an increased reach adjustment.
Toyota’s premium division states the new IS’s increased width and longer wheelbase along with the thinner front seat design allow for significantly more comfort for rear seat passengers, adding that the luggage capacity has also been improved over the outgoing model.
The car pictured here is the F Sport trim variant recognized by the bespoke front grille treatment and bumper designs, bigger wheels, sport seat, caboin trims and steering wheel, along with a driver’s meter with a moving center ring.
There’s no mention of the available powertrains in the initial statement, but we do know that in North America, the new 2014 IS will launch with 2.5-liter and 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engines coupled to 8-speed automatics, with a four-cylinder hybrid model to be presented at a later date.
PHOTO GALLERY
