The refreshed Lexus IS bowed today at the Beijing Motor Show, presenting an even hungrier face than before.
Lexus kept the well-defined proportions of the entry-level sedan intact, but went to town on the front end. The corporate spindle grille now sports a higher cinch point and spacetime-bending three-dimensional mesh.
Redesigned headlamps flank the new maw, with significantly enlarged air intakes poised to inhale the stars and spiral galaxies the grille missed. Performance models receive functional brake ducts.
Standard 10-spoke, 17-inch polished wheels brighten up the sedan’s flanks, while enhanced light guides in the LED taillamps and rectangular exhaust tips freshen up the rear.
Inside, the IS sees its multimedia screen grow from seven to 10.3 inches and gain higher resolution. Possibly in response to customer criticism, Lexus has added “Enter” buttons to the side of the center console’s Remote Touch Interface. A larger dose of safety now comes standard, via the Lexus Safety System + suite of driver’s aids.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the IS lineup, with vanilla and F-Sport models carrying over as before. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 3.5-liter V6 (in two flavors) both return.
[Images: Toyota Motor Corporation]
That is one Fugly front end and will catch plenty of bugs , the rest looks like a 3 series knockoff.
Whatever you want to make of this, it’s quite uniquely styled, and looks nothing like a 3-Series.
Have to admit, this Lexus has touch of older BMW Bangle-fire in the bulges and swoopiness of it all. Seems like flame-surfacing, but with compromises inherent to badge-ish engineering a common platform.
“but with compromises inherent to badge-ish engineering a common platform?”
???
The front is just too wild for me—and always has been. But I really like the sweeping line where each rocker panel meets the apex of the tail-lamp and rear bumper cover. It’s a very well-executed character line.
IMO the 2012 IS was the last reasonably styled one, and in 3.5L guise, the only one I’d have.
Are you confusing the IS with the ES?
Add the Lexus grille to the Camry, add the Camry jowls to the IS. Toyota needs to better differentiate its brands.
And I still hate the Nike logos on the front of this car.
Lexus sales are up 74% since 2011. I guess buyers don’t look at the front end.
The whole industry is up 51% since 2011. Lexus is up on top of that because they added the NX.
In your alternate universe, did any of the other manufacturers add models? +74% against an industry average of +51% is beating the heck out of your competition.
Lexus sales are up because outside of fanboys on the Internet, the market reception has been positive.
I will say GX sales soared when they did the 2014 refresh with the spindle grille. It’s still the oldest-feeling vehicle in the Lexus lineup by way of its last-generation electronics suite…but I’d say buyers have responded positively to it.
“I guess buyers don’t look at the front end.”
My parents just took delivery of an ES. I told my mom it was ugly and she didn’t care. They’re riding on the inside, while the rest of us who have to look at it from the outside get to suffer.
I think the circa 2013 ES was pretty alright. It had a spindle, but with that bisecting bumper part in the middle. Looks good today.
The current Lexus grill reminds me of the Tandy Corp. logo. (Tandy was Radio-Shack’s corporate parent.)
10 PRINT “MODEL I FO
REVER ON MY LEXUS!!! ;”
20 GOTO 10
RUN
MODEL I FOREVER ON M
Y LEXUS!! MODEL I FOEV
ON MY LEXUS!! MODEL I
FOREVER ON MY LEXUS
!!!
SN ERROR
OK?
Now I know why I love the corporate design language so much! Brilliant marketing, appeal to every 35-50yo tech nerd who probably has a job well within Lexus’ target range. TRS80! FTW!
The hell are you old nerds talking about?!
Now they’re just daring people to buy this thing.
Greatly?
…
…I actually like the Lexus face.
Are they letting kids design their cars?
between this front fascia and the Prius tail lights it’s a possibility. Some big executive’s kid read too much manga and now we have to look at this comic sans of automotive design.
Good Lord, this is like Acura’s beak all over again. Tell them it’s ugly and they’ll just double down even worse.
I can’t wait until the luxury brands stop pussy-footing around and just make the entire front halves of their vehicles out of grill. That appears to be where we’re going anyway.
The front “half”? So, everything from the front doors forward?
Did you see the 2016 LX? So. Much. Grille.
http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2016-Lexus-LX570-103-876×535.jpg
GET IT AWAY FROM ME.
Have the LC, all day long.
Looks like old E60 5-series after a Bob Lutz brainstorm.
We have Audi to thank for these bumper-less grilles, don’t we?
I mean, unless you assign blame to the late 90s early 2000s ricers who put those ridiculous wide-mouth fiberglass bumpers on their 3000gts and Eclipses.
Yeah, but Audi does it beautifully. Lexus doesn’t.
I like it, on balance. The grille is too big but at least in the cars that were designed for it from the start it looks coherent. The rest of the car is very nicely proportioned.
I hope this one drives as well as the last one, and doesn’t succumb to market pressure to make everything numb like the 3-Series did.
That goofy grille looks like a flyswatter sandwiched between two largemouth bass mouths.
Why does Toyota insist on continuing with this ugliest of all front ends?
Most likely explanation: the stylist in charge of front ends is the spoiled son of someone powerful on the board of directors, and he has been unable to come up with any better ideas.
Not sure about the stylist, but an integral part of being Lexus, is doing things others realistically can’t. To go where “lessers” can’t follow. Very sharp, distinct shapes tapering to almost impossibly sharp needle like corners, glaringly highlights any deviation from perfect execution and workmanship, and ultra tight control over tolerances. Which makes such shapes both a testament to a higher degree of precision, as well as largely immune to successful aping by “lesser” makes.
Toyota has always cared more about being number one wrt production process sophistication and execution, than about being associated with the latest and “greatest” wrt styling, power, speed, tech features and whatnot.
And, especially concerning generally “Made in Japan” Lexus, a friendly game of understated showing off, for those “in the know” at Mercedes and BMW, and perhaps nowadays especially upstart Hyundai/Kia, is at least as important as what mere plebes may think about any given model’s “look.”
I find it strange that as styled as the front fascia and illumination is, that the door surfacing is extremely minimal, none of the character lines carry from the Yautja front end through the body.
I love the taillight treatment as of late though.
Looks good and for those saying it’s too aggressive (and you’d complain that it’s too boring if it wasn’t) there is the non-F sport model which is toned down.
Yet another car that actual buyers will like and bloggers who wouldn’t buy it regardless will whine and moan about.
I’d say it’s tied with the 3-Series for second-best driving dynamics in the class (the ATS has first-place, but that car is far too compromised and feels cheap in places). And if you like the styling and the rock-solid 3.5-liter V6 in the 300 / 350 variants, it makes a very compelling case for itself.
Looks like it could unhinge its jaw to consume a Smart car whole.
This thing induces projectile vomitting.
The shape shifting salt sucker monster that Bones fell in love with in Star Trek.
Lexus has a special kind of ugly stick with which it beats its cars.
I like it, though I’m not sure why. I think it’s because those scoops that presumably lead to brake-cooling ducts have a very purposeful look, whether they are functional or not.
Will they introduce an all black version and call it the
Darth Vader edition?
Yes, to be matched by an all-chrome Cylon edition.
So much do not want in that front end. The rest is pretty benign if not appealing but the front end is the sort of ugly that pre-internet could have earned a living in a carnival freak show.
17″ wheels? Is that a typo?
Very refreshing at a time when FWD 4-cylinder family sedans get 19″ wheels.
This is over-the-top. The Lexus spindle grille was most palatable when it was broken up by the bumper cover. See the 2013 GS 350—which, I believe, was the first car to wear said spindle grille—for an example. Even in F-Sport guise, where Lexus unleashes its wildest, most caffeinated designers, it still looks classy.
http://st.automobilemag.com/uploads/sites/11/2011/11/2013-Lexus-GS-350-F-Sport-front-three-quarters.jpg
I’ve bought 5 Lexus autos in the last 20 + years. I hate how these grilles look on any and all of their models. They’ve lost me as a customer.
They’ve more than already replaced you and then some.
So irritate long term customers who can afford to buy outright or finance the product in hopes of chasing nouveau riche dbags devoid of taste and wannabes who can barely put together lease payment? Brilliant!
It gets even worse than this with the new Prius or the Mirai, especially the Mirai.
Did a whole bunch of CAD files suddenly become corrupted during the eleventh hour?
Haha…very true. I saw a brand new white Proud in a parking lot today and it looked beyond horrible. The Prius has never been a good looking car by any stretch of the imagination, but this new one is a total abortion.
Proud? Gotta love auto-correct. Obviously meant to say Prius.
I want to like this car, but I can’t get past the horrible front end. Strangely, I feel the same way about another Toyota product, the new 4Runner. This brother/sister combination is just plain ugly!
This will look extra ugly with a front plate. Anyone else cringe when seeing these bigger more recent spindle grills with a plate tacked off to the side? It just does not work. Please fix it.
Yup.
When will the Large Mouth Bass front end look finally go the way of sagging pants?
Well, there is Tesla. At least the fish has kind of closed it’s mouth. I also think that 05glt is right in that some of these cars, including Tesla, will look much better with a license plate on them. Some cars look better in person. For example, I think the Mazdoyotion iA looks better when you’re standing next it – maybe because it’s small.
I have some thoughts on this.
Audi started the trend back in 2004-ish. I think they’re going to lead the trend away from it. If you see their new models there has actually been a reduction in grille space.