Lexus Malaysia launches new IS 200t, from RM298k

lexus-is-200t-launch

UMW Toyota Motor, the official distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Malaysia, has officially launched its new Lexus IS 200t range for the Malaysian market. We’ve spied it, shown you its indicative prices and spec early on, and now, here’s the full deal.

There’s a total of four IS variants to choose from now, three of which are equipped with the brand’s new 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Notably, the IS 250 and IS 350 have been dismissed from the line-up, with the IS 200t taking over from the naturally-aspirated IS 250 in the range, while the IS 350 has been discontinued. The IS 300h still remains available, updated slightly for the times. We’ll get to that in a moment.

Without wasting any time, let’s talk prices. Lexus Malaysia has confirmed that the IS 200t Premium will retail from RM297,800, the IS 200t Luxury from RM349,900, and the sportiest of the bunch, the IS 200t F Sport, from RM384,900. The sole IS 300h hybrid retails from RM452,100.

With the prices now confirmed and settled on, it clear that the additional specifications on the cars and the state of affairs of the Ringgit’s value at the currency exchange may have forced Lexus Malaysia’s hand towards increasing the prices of its IS range further than the initial indicative prices suggested (200t variants believed to be between RM266k to RM328k), which themselves were a step up from before.

The key new element to the IS 200t is its new 2.0 litre four-cylinder twin-scroll turbocharged petrol engine (8AR-FTS) – it’s also the same engine you’ll find powering the NX 200t SUV in Malaysia. Here, it’s installed longitudinally instead of transverse in the NX.

The new 2.0 litre twin-scroll turbo four is rated at 241 hp at 5,800 rpm and 350 Nm between 1,650 to 4,400 rpm. Apart from being more powerful than their naturally-aspirated predecessors here, the new IS 200t variants also offer a higher top speed of 230 km/h – just 5 km/h more than before.

The new engine features a water-cooled cylinder head, integrated exhaust manifold and Variable Valve Timing intelligent – Wide (VVT-iW) technology – the latter allowing the engine to switch between Otto and Atkinson cycles on the fly to maximise fuel efficiency and performance accordingly, to suit prevailing driving conditions and personal preferences.

Where the previous IS 250 managed to perform its century sprint in 8.1 seconds, the new 200t version is capable of performing the same feat in just seven seconds flat. This is also aided by a new eight-speed torque converter Sports Direct Shift (SPDS) automatic transmission, which is also here to replace the outgoing six-speed transmission.

ZI3103-B

The IS 200t F Sport is the sole beneficiary of a new Adaptive Variable Suspension System (AVS) as standard just as the IS 250 F Sport before it had, while the rest rely on the standard fixed multi-link setup. Tied to this, the F Sport also gets a fourth option on the Drive Mode Select system controlled by a rotary dial on the centre console: where all other variants get the standard Eco, Normal and Sport modes, the F Sport gets an additional Sport S+ mode.

Another upgrade brought to the new IS 200t range is a set of redesigned and upgraded brake discs – the size of the current 200t’s disc brakes are 17-inches in diameter, one inch larger than before.

The IS 300h continues to rely on its Lexus Hybrid Drive System, which features a 178 hp 2.5 litre petrol engine, 141 hp electric motor, and an electronically-controlled continuously variable transmission (E-CVT). The RM452k sedan features a Ni-MH battery which stores energy to be supplied to the electric motor, boosting power and allowing the vehicle to travel short distances in full electric only mode. The battery is recharged either by the combustion engine or via brake energy regeneration – no plug-in charging.

A new feature in the IS 300h spec list is Active Sound Control (ASC) which channels a sportier engine sound into the cabin via a dedicated speaker. This feature was only introduced for the IS 300h globally in 2014. Drivers may choose to control the volume but the audio feed will be automatically deactivated when either Eco or EV mode is selected.

Moving inside the car, there aren’t many noteworthy changes. The cockpit layout and materials used are nearly the same before, with the only new change to the interior being the addition of a powered steering column adjustment fit as standard to all IS models.

Lexus Malaysia is also laying claim to having the most number of airbags in its class, that number being 10 – two more than were previously available. The additional rear airbags are located at each side of the rear seat next to the door opening.

All but the lowest-spec IS variants also get a Blind Sport Monitor (BSM) with Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) installed as standard.

There is a total of seven different exterior paint colours to have your IS 200t variant in, while buyers of the F Sport model will get an additional two: White Nova GF and Heat Blue. The interior scheme is matched with the car’s exterior paint, and include a choice of Black Metallic, Wood Grey Ivory and Wedge Metal Dark Rose (reserved for F Sport).

Lexus IS 200t edit_client

All variants of the new Lexus IS range come standard with a Lexus Security and Solar Film, as well as a Lexus Emergency Kit – the emergency kit is inclusive of a first aid kit, safety triable, jumper cable, and portable tyre pump.

For the IS 200t models, Lexus Malaysia’s standard three-year/100,000 km (whichever comes first) factory warranty applies, while the IS 300h’s battery pack gets an additional confidence booster in the form of an eight-year warranty with no limitations on mileage.

Lexus Malaysia has also announced that all three variants will be available for public viewing at its local showrooms beginning today.

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Chris Aaron

With an equal passion for fast cars and everyday workhorses, Chris Aaron maintains a passion for European makes, Formula 1, playing the electric guitar and spending endless hours on the PlayStation - first-person shooters and the Gran Turismo franchise are his favourites. He also finds it strange to have written this in the third person.

 

Comments

  • Bimmer sakti on Oct 06, 2015 at 6:26 pm

    Sorry Lexus no matter how hard you try, you’ll never have the pedigree of certain well-known German marques.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 51 Thumb down 26
    • TopsyBoXyTurvy on Oct 06, 2015 at 6:57 pm

      If this is your mentality in ur life, bet u arent doing very well in ur career or study also good luck lor..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 6
      • Bimmer sakti on Oct 07, 2015 at 1:16 pm

        My life is not determined by what i think of Lexus, thank you very much. Sorry if yours is.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2
    • hoho, then what option can u suggest?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Going for BMW 320i

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 4
    • bentley on Oct 07, 2015 at 9:07 am

      Still better than Audi A4, at least it is a RWD not like a cheapo VW.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 2
      • timbalak on Oct 09, 2015 at 12:23 pm

        just a piece of toyota with changing emblem and sold for high price. hahaha. rwd or fwd, doesn’t related to vw. rwd doesn’t made the car looks great and power.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
  • well done UMW! competitive price, better spec than 328 & c250

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 42
  • Better get beemer or benz. No Takatagate or dieselgate

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 20
  • omegle on Oct 06, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    Form 266k to now 298k?! KThxBai

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 23 Thumb down 3
  • neutral on Oct 06, 2015 at 6:55 pm

    W….T….F…is wrong with the pricing?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 38 Thumb down 2
    • Peter on Oct 07, 2015 at 9:19 am

      It’s because of the excellent job that our leader is doing to give us a fantastic forex against the dollar, resulting in such good selling price..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • Aaron on Oct 06, 2015 at 6:56 pm

    THE PRICE! THE F*CK! THE F*CK!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 34 Thumb down 1
  • alanharris on Oct 06, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    mau jual Lexus @ bolehland ka? kasi free gst, instalment, petrol, service, insurans, r/tax, smart tag & kfc voucher..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • cendol (Member) on Oct 06, 2015 at 7:15 pm

    Thanks to superb value of RM, now car prices more reflect the economic well-being of rich Malaysians.
    A moving house moving on the road

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • SpongeWai on Oct 06, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    i love Lexus but i dont like the price… thx to our G and PM

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • forrest the tree on Oct 06, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    No thanks!

    Going to Merz/bmw showroom.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • Toyota Basher on Oct 06, 2015 at 8:13 pm

    Rather buy german cars! Better quality!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 2
    • Robert on Oct 08, 2015 at 2:34 pm

      That’s right. I’m going to sell my problematic toyota already. I’m interested with german car, considering to get VW Polo haha

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 3
  • I rather buy a Audi Q3… Boots is big enough,enjin more powerful and more efficient

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 2
  • Bob_B78 on Oct 06, 2015 at 8:42 pm

    Lexus Is better reserved for old uncles that have high blood pressure or brittle bones. We young ppl can buy bmw or Mercedes which is way more exciting to drive.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • MrPoppyplants on Oct 06, 2015 at 8:58 pm

    LOL. Good luck selling this when 328i is cheaper and helluva faster car. Sad shit of a turbocharged 2.0L sport sedan.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • heybadigol (Member) on Oct 06, 2015 at 9:50 pm

    Been waiting for awhile for the turbo IS. Sadly, the pricetag is just too exorbitant. Now let’s wait for the new Audi A4 (B9). Hope it’s priced more competitively here.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • nabill (Member) on Oct 06, 2015 at 9:50 pm

    hahahaha….*insert Yao Ming meme*

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • The Archbishop of Banterbury on Oct 06, 2015 at 10:16 pm

    Arghh!!! F@$* you!!! (screams in Arnold Schwarzenegger voice)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Sammy Loo on Oct 06, 2015 at 10:27 pm

    High price for good car is ok, you get high RV later.
    Better than those junk kimchi and german DSG cars that got no RV and breakdown halfway.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • Disagree on Oct 08, 2015 at 12:10 pm

      Cars sell with high price sure got their value, they wont sell expensive with no reason.
      btw, are you sure dsg cars breakdown halfway? stop spreading rumours la! dsg issue resolved for long time ago

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Heng Lee on Oct 06, 2015 at 10:50 pm

    IS 200t F Sport is faster than 110km/h?

    Normally all Toyota and Lexus are designed for max. speed of 110km/h.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • dugongx on Oct 06, 2015 at 11:34 pm

    Stupid arrogant Lexus…now lets wait and see your sales drop to double digits a month.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
  • Same L0rr Ori on Oct 06, 2015 at 11:38 pm

    A premium product deserves premium pricing. You get out of this world 6 star service standard. Unlike low class BMW and Merc. Awaiting my 4th lexus soon. Luckily I ordered before the price increase. Now I can resell it and make a handsome profit. Work harder kimchi fools…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 5
  • seancorr (Member) on Oct 07, 2015 at 1:11 am

    Wow with that kind of price good luck in selling even one of those units. One can get a C250 or 328i which are better cars to drive.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 1
  • Rusmah on Oct 07, 2015 at 8:19 am

    Oh~~ more money for me to go shopping!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Albert on Oct 07, 2015 at 8:23 am

    Same lorr,have you booked your 5th Lexus?
    Serious,my friend, a senior manager at Lexus Malaysia can get you one unit at “SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL YEAR END PRICE”.
    By the way,no personal hard feelings..how is your Toyota sales this year?
    Resurgent Honda has whacked UMW sales kaw kaw this year.What happened? Like you say Toyota has good RV.Then what went wrong?
    From the stats,Lexus is doing OK this year.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • Jonn Dol on Oct 07, 2015 at 8:42 am

    Just few words :

    1) The Bug-eyed headlamp on Lexus IS is a big put-off to many. Always thought that the headlamp found on the Lexus NX SUV looks much better and will suit very well on the Lexus IS. Lexus should have toned down a bit the wild-looking front & rear headlamps.The exterior design is a main factor why most buyers chose Lexus ES over Lexus IS when it comes to Lexus exeutive class cars and this shown on the very rare sights of the Lexus IS on our roads.
    2) On the plus side, the handling is very closely matched Bimmer 3-series (and possibly the new Jag XE), while easily outhandled the comfort-biased Merc C class and the new Audi A4.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
    • All these are irrelevant given the price.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • ES is Fwd, bigger cabin, to be leisurely driven..IS with RWD is more compact and sportier car and more expensive. Thats the reasons why more ES on the road..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • kington on Oct 07, 2015 at 10:10 am

      Agreed, the front is a bit too wild for those choosing a car at this category, only fans will apply.

      Handling wise, this is probably one of the better one even in non F Sport trim but at this price, it’s gonna be hard for them to ship any units.

      UMW Toyota/Lexus does not deserve to sell Toyota and Lexus cars.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Hahahaaha(BMW salesmen laughing). Now who wanna buy premium selection 328msport rm250k or 428 grancoupe rm340k. 0-100. 5.9-6.0sec. 5+5 warranty and free service and a premium badge. Mali Mali…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Bob_B78 on Oct 07, 2015 at 10:34 am

    Lexus is best reserved for those who has high blood pressure or brittle bones. Those who enjoy driving already bought either BMW or Mercs.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Rangers on Oct 07, 2015 at 12:03 pm

    For those saying ringgit depreciation is the reason it raise price, think again:

    1) Lexus is Japanese made car, i think you can trade in JPY with them for sure.

    now, JPY vs MYR used to be 100 Yen for 3.6-3.8, beginning of this year due to Japan Yen QE, it drops to 3.0 to 100 Yen, did the car price drop a cent? Nope. That’s over 20% of Yen depreciation, which become UMW profit.

    Now the JPY vs MYR is 3.5-3.6, which is back to normal range. (Yen QE balance out MYR depreciate! btw, except US$ and GBP, and CHF, all depreciate against USD, thats why their export will be suffered down the road)

    This is UMW excuses to raise the price and earn from the consumer!

    If Ford raise price I believe its real.

    Wake up, its UMW !

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Rangers on Oct 07, 2015 at 12:11 pm

    and some more, why aren’t UMW import the famous model then and now?

    1) Wish – it was flooded the street at one point
    2) Harrier – still flooding the street
    3) Alphard – still flooding the street

    There is only 1 beneficial from here…and virtually similar crony company grey importer of used car.

    UMW just either dont import or sell and super high price (just like how they kill RAV4 for CRV, until CX5 surface lately)

    This UMW-NAZA-HICOM automotive strategy you think not related?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • VW Fans on Oct 07, 2015 at 1:18 pm

    very good looking, nice interior, powerfull engine, very good engine reliability.. fans are waiting, users seem dont hv interest.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
 

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