2021 Lexus IS Backs That Thing Up in New Video Prior to Its June 15th Reveal
The new compact Lexus sedan is coming soon, butt first . . .
Mark your calendars, Lexus fans, because the Japanese luxury brand officially plans to unveil its 2021 IS sports sedan on June 15. Lexus even sent out a pair of teasers that show the new car's rear end. Acura recently pulled a similar move with its 2021 TLX sedan, one of the IS's competitors.
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As Lexus's photos and video show, the new IS compact luxury sedan incorporates a full-width light bar tail lamp style cribbed from the UX crossover SUV. Despite its all-new uni-taillight, the rest of the car is fairly familiar—it reportedly sits atop the same platform used by the current model. There are improvements, of course, including a wider rear track, but the new IS won't be "all-new," just mostly new.
We expect the same four- and six-cylinder engines powering today's IS to carry over to the new model—likely with small bumps in output. As such, entry-level models once again welcome a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder underhood, while a 3.5-liter V-6 remains an optional extra, as evidenced by the "350" badging on the sedan's trunk. Rumors continue to swirl that Lexus may shoehorn the Lexus LS 500 's 416-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 under the updated IS's hood. Despite its performance bent, such a model will reputedly shun the F nomenclature that adorns the two-door RC F and four-door GS F , as well as the IS F of yore.
Although the IS's reworked sheet metal (and handsome rear end) may manage to help Lexus keep its sports sedan somewhat fresh, its likely warmed-over mechanical bits will all-but assuredly prevent the model from properly competing with the segment's most entertaining options, including the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Genesis G70 . Still, we're hopeful Lexus proves us wrong. Adding the LS's twin-turbo V-6 engine to a hotter variant of the next IS might even manage to make up for the inherent disadvantages of its geriatric (and somewhat small-for-the-class) underpinnings. Regardless, we'll know more on June 15.
