New 2021 Lexus IS Shows Some Skin Ahead Of June 15 Premiere

The third generation Lexus IS, which has been around since 2013, is about to make room for a new model that’s only three days away from being unveiled, following a delay in its presentation that was originally scheduled for June 9.

Set to debut online on Monday, June 15, at 7:00 p.m. EDT, the luxury sports sedan that will take on the likes of the BMW 3-Series & co. is teasing us by showing some flesh in the video that accompanies the announcement.

Compared to the outgoing IS, the latest model sports a more pronounced shoulder line and features a unique rear lighting signature, with a light strip that spans across the lower edge of the boot lid. The pictured model also features F Sport badges on the front fenders and wears the IS 350 emblem at the back.

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What this means is that we’re likely looking at a V6, with the current 3.5-liter making 311 HP and 280 lb-ft (380 Nm) of torque in the 2020 model year. Many believe that most of the engine lineup will be carried over to the new generation, and this could include 2.0-liter four-pot that’s rated at 241 HP. Even so, we would expect Toyota’s luxury brand to update the units, either with emphasis on improved fuel consumption or more power, or perhaps both. All new IS models will be offered with rear-wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic transmission, with the V6 versions to be available with all-wheel drive as well.

It’s been reported that the range-topping variant could be baptized the IS 500 and might offer 416 HP and 442 lb-ft (599 Nm) from a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. A V8 isn’t expected to be on the menu in the four-door sedan.

Details surrounding the underpinnings of the car are also scarce. The logical move would be to drop the Toyota New N platform and build it on the TNGA-L architecture instead, though most sources say that it will ride on a tweaked version of the outgoing model’s platform.