Lexus is allegedly moving forward with development of a next-generation IS sedan, and these renderings provide a glimpse of what the car could look like.
Almuraba says that these renderings were recently created by Japanese artists who’d been given a look at the vehicle’s design by Lexus. The speculative renderings, sourced from a Japanese car magazine, depict the IS receiving an overhauled exterior design radically different than the one we’re familiar with.
Take a look at the front, for example. While the company’s spindle grille has been retained, it has been enlarged for the new IS and incorporates a new mesh design. Additionally, a pair of overhauled headlights are found on either side of the grille, drastically altering the look of the sports sedan.
Viewed from the rear, the new IS looks even more intriguing. The taillights are new but just as dramatic as those of the current model. Elsewhere, there’s a bulging decklid, an extended bumper with dual exhaust tips, and new horizontal reflectors.
As recently as June this year, the Japanese automaker admitted that it was taking a “strategic look” at the IS and GS and had yet to decide if the two would be updated or killed off entirely. If it’s true that preliminary designs of a next-generation IS have already been shown to select individuals outside of Lexus, it seems likely that the automaker has decided that the premium compact sedan will live on.
Lexus only managed to sell 26,482 units of the IS in the United States in 2017, a dramatic decline from the 51,358 models it sold in 2014. However, it is the larger GS which is proving even less popular. If Lexus kills of the GS, it will be free to make the IS slightly larger without encroaching on sales of the bigger ES.
