2021 Lexus IS pricing and specs detailed: BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4 sedan rival gets major facelift

Lexus Australia has confirmed pricing and specification details for the heavily facelifted IS mid-sizer ahead of the rear-wheel-drive sports sedan’s showroom arrival on November 6.

Once again, the IS is available in three powertrains, including a 180kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine (IS300) and a 232kW/380Nm 3.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol V6 (IS350). Both of these units are mated to a recalibrated eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.

Then there’s the ‘self-charging’ hybrid option (IS300h), which combines a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol four-cylinder engine with an electric motor for system power output of 164kW. This set-up is matched to an electronic continuously variable automatic transmission (e-CVT).

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That said, there are now fewer variants of the IS, with the IS300 and IS300h now exclusively offered in the Luxury and F Sport grades, and the IS350 only available in the latter.

This means the IS300h can no longer be had in Sports Luxury form, while the IS350 isn’t offered in Luxury guise anymore, reducing the number of IS variants from seven to five.

2021 Lexus IS300 F Sport

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2021 Lexus IS300 F Sport

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2021 Lexus IS300h Luxury

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2021 Lexus IS300h Luxury

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In exchange for a longer list of standard equipment, IS pricing has been increased across the board, with the IS300 Luxury ($61,500 plus on-road costs), IS300h Luxury ($64,500) and IS300h F Sport ($73,000) all up $1000, while the IS300 F Sport ($70,000) and IS350 F Sport ($75,000) have jumped by $1725 and $1364 respectively.

Standard equipment in the Luxury grade includes LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, a 10.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system, satellite navigation with live traffic, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, a 10-speaker sound system, eight-way power-adjustable front seats with heating, and dual-zone climate control.

Advanced driver-assist systems extend to autonomous emergency braking with intersection assist and pedestrian (day/night) and cyclist (day) detection, lane-keep and steering assist (including emergency), adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, active rear cross-traffic alert and high-beam assist.

The F Sport grade adds five drive modes (Eco, Normal, Sport S, Sport S+ and Custom), adaptive suspension, a sports body kit, 19-inch alloy wheels, scuff plates, an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster, front sports seats with cooling, sports pedals and leather-accented upholstery.

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And for those buyers that want a little more, the Luxury grade can option either its $2000 Enhancement Pack 1 (a sunroof) or $5500 Enhancement Pack 2 (19-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, a 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, cooled front seats, leather-accented upholstery and a power-operated rear sunshade).

Meanwhile, the F Sport grade can step up further with its $3300 Enhancement Pack (a sunroof, a 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system and a power-operated rear sunshade).

As reported, the third-generation IS latest facelift ushers in not only redesigned front and rear fascias, but also wider tracks front (+45mm) and rear (+50mm) to improve vehicle turn-in and stability as well as increased body rigidity for enhance steering response and cornering ability, according to Lexus.

The BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4 sedan rival also gets lighter but stronger suspension (double-wishbone front and multi-link rear axles) and Active Cornering Assist, which brakes individual wheels to maintain the driver’s intended line around bends.

2021 Lexus IS pricing before on-road costs