Oh, You Were Expecting a New Lexus IS Today, Weren't You?
Remember when, suddenly, news of new sedans poured forth from more than one corner? That was a hell of a week.
Today was supposed to bring about the reveal of the next-generation Lexus IS — a product tasked with keeping Lexus’ sporty sedan mojo alive, given the recent demise of the GS. Alas, the debut was not to be. Lexus scrapped Tuesday’s debut.
In an exceedingly brief statement, the brand said it “has respectfully postponed the world premiere of the new IS, which was originally scheduled for June 9.”
“Revised timing will be announced soon,” Lexus said.
While an in-person debut of this and every other new model is a no-go in the age of coronavirus, the IS’ delay is clearly the product of civil unrest in the United States stemming from the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Waves of protests continue as destructive rioting seems to have diminished, but the public consciousness remains fixated on the issue, at least for the time being.
That said, it’s still odd to see the debut of a car delayed because of a social issue, regardless of its legitimacy. It looks like parent corp Toyota wasn’t willing to risk the possibility of being called insensitive for going about the business of an automaker amid the tense atmosphere — an atmosphere that carries over heavily to social media, where plugged-in auto journos appear almost wholly preoccupied with the protests. Toyota read the room.
As for the car itself, the only thing we know about the next-gen IS is that the feature this writer hated most about the current-gen model seems to be rectified in the form of a full-width LED taillight setup. Expect to see a rescheduled debut before the end of the month.
[Image: Lexus]
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"the IS’ delay is clearly the product of civil unrest in the United States" How is that so clear? Maybe they decided to go back and fix the grille.
So the thing you hated most was the tail lights? Not the compact interior?
Seriously ? This is about COVID-19 and nothing more. As for the tragic murder of Mr. Floyd, don't worry;the media will never let go of it.
Could just be delaying it to clear out the previous model that nobody buys.