In a statement, Lexus has announced that it is postponing the premiere of its redesigned IS sedan. Additional comment from company representatives confirmed that the timing is not due to production, design, or engineering issues, rather because of social unrest.
“Lexus has respectfully postponed the world premiere of the new IS, which was originally scheduled for June 9. Revised timing will be announced soon,” the statement reads.
Turning up the brightness and contrast on the image in Photoshop gives you a better idea of what to expect from the revised car.Photo courtesy of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc.
The IS is the smallest of the three Lexus sedans offered for sale in the U.S. It slots below the ES and LS, but is larger than the Lexus RC, a two-door sports coupe.
Lexus has sold the luxury sports car since 1999.Though the car has often been positioned as sporty, it usually only hits those notes when compared to the Lexus ES. If rumors are to be believed, the next-generation IS will be sportier than the last. How? That remains, for now, largely unseen.
Speculation has mounted saying that the car could have the powerful V8 engine that is found in the 2020 Lexus RC F. However, it’s more than likely we’ll see a four-cylinder base engine (possibly electrified). If Lexus was to present a hybrid powertrain, it might choose to go the same route its sister company Toyota did with the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime, delivering the sportiest model with the highest amount of horsepower as a plug-in hybrid.
There’s likely to be a 2021 Lexus IS F-Sport variant as well. F-Sport models traditionally get a tuning upgrade and sportier features like larger, intricate wheels and sport seats. These models typically retail for thousands more than the base model.
The teaser image distributed by the automaker reveals a new company rear light signature that spans the width of the entire backside of the car connecting the taillights. Adjusting the brightness on the image in Photoshop reveals a body that is more athletic than the previous generation and has a rear diffuser.
Turn up brightness on the shadows and vertical rear lights are revealed, pointing to where dual exhaust pipes might be. The fenders become more pronounced and the grounded look of the car becomes more evident.
