While Lexus is still trying to act like it’s 1985 back when diesels clattered, smoked like hell and were slow so therefor unfit for smooth luxury cars, it has finally given in to the other engine-related trend of the industry: downsizing and turbocharging of gasoline-burning motors.
And thus, the first ever Lexus turbo engine, a banal 2.0-liter with adequate horsepower (235hp / 238PS) by industry standards, debuted under the bonnet of the new NX crossover last month, but it will obviously be passed around all of the more compact models in the range so as to keep up with the force-fed competition.
Citing sources from within Lexus, MotorTrend confirms this as a distinct possibility too, suggesting that the first car aside from the NX to get the new unit is the IS sedan, a model whose appeal will shoot up once this occurs.
They say Lexus could call the model either IS200 or IS250, though we say it could be both, featuring the same engine but in different states of tune.
Expect to see the first turbo IS take to the road some time within the next 24 months.
By Andrei Nedelea
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