As we reported yesterday, Lexus Malaysia has just rolled out its updated IS range of cars here, with prices ranging from RM289k to RM452k. Three variants of the turbocharged IS 200t made their debuts, while a fourth and final one sees range-topping IS 300h hybrid soldier on.
Today, with Lexus showrooms across the country beginning to display their updated IS models, we decided to visit the Mutiara Damansara outlet to bring you these lives photos of the new car.
Only the IS 200t Luxury variant was available for display at the time, itself being the higher-spec variant of the two 200t versions without the F Sport package. Specifically, this IS 200t Luxury will set you back a cool RM349,900.
The new 2.0 litre turbo four engines bring to the IS 200t units more power and technology than before, with outputs rated for 241 hp at 5,800 rpm, and 350 Nm of torque between 1,650 and 4,400 rpm. With a new eight-speed torque converter Sports Direct Shift (SPDS) automatic transmission sending power to the rear wheels of the car, the IS 200t is capable of performing a century sprint in just seven seconds.
The C-Class and 3 Series-fighter you see here wears a Red Mica Crystal Shine body paint colour. The front-end features the brand’s prominent spindle grille design, flanked by HID (Xenon) projector type headlamps, with auto-levelling function and headlamp washers.
All IS variants feature LED daytime running lights and fog lamps, and rear combination lamps as standard, while the auto-folding and dimming wing mirrors with heater and memory function are Luxury-and-above only features. So too are the car’s rain sensors. The wheels worn by this variant are a set of 18-inch multi-spoke alloys.
Inside, the Luxury variant gets a wood and leather combination interior (lower-spec Premium only gets a film and leather type), while both the non-F-Sport 200t variants get a three-spoke multifunction leather-wrapped steering wheel. Paddle shifters are a standard affair on all IS variants, including the IS 300h hybrid.
Dual-zone air-conditioning is standard for all variants as well, together with rear AC vents. The inside rear-view mirror on the Luxury variant and upwards are automatically dimming electro chromic types.
For infotainment, the IS 200t Luxury and the base Premium variant get the same Lexus Premium Audio eight-speaker sound system. The Luxury variant sets itself apart from the Premium variant with a seven-inch Lexus Electro Multi Vision display screen, however – the Premium gets a more basic Lexus Display Audio system screen.
Connectivity and audio options for the Luxury variant include an in-dash DVD player, MP3 and WMA compatibility, dual USB ports and an AUX jack. There is also Bluetooth handsfree connectivity. The Luxury variant also adds reverse camera, navigation, Blind-spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert systems, features not present in the baseline Premium.
As mentioned in our launch report, all IS models also increase their airbag count to 10 from the previous eight available, while other standard safety systems across the board include vehicle stability control, traction control, ABS, brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution, hill-start assist and a tyre pressure warning system.
So, will it be this over the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class?
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
take two.
One Lexus IS,
One Lexus NX.
Lexus maybe a good car but buyer beware. It is the King of RV Depreciation. 2010 Lexus LS460L top of the range now selling for RM120k. Used car dealers will beg you to even take it for RM99k even. Shocking because less than 5 years ago, the car was close to RM900k.
In 4 years plus your car can jatuh from RM900k to RM99k.
That is how bad Lexus RV is. If you can afford to bear with the falling RV, go ahead and buy it and enjoy it.
Bear in mind also, most of the Lexus buyers, after susah payah paying 5 years every month, have to still top up berpuluh ribu their loan when they sell their car.
So besides super duper expensive parts, more expensive than even BMW, Lexus buyers always cry when selling their cars.
Only a very stupid person will buy a Toyota for RM350k. Every panel in this car has the words “Made by Toyota” written on it.
It is a Toyota la bodoh people
When Donkey never experience luxury Lexus, he simply thought it is same as Toyota.
By his logic,
1. Porche, Lambo, Audi, Bugatti = Made by VW
2. Cadillac = Made by General Motors
3. Ferrari = Made by Fiat
I just can’t stop laughing… Despite nonsense from donkey, horse, ayam, ikan bilis, I actually have a few bookings already for this. You can talk whatever you like, sales figure will tell the truth.
Good luck to your Proton. Wait, ppl rather but the tiny Mini rather than your “awesome” Suprima S.
Buy a luxury car but run by idiots in UMW, half of them got no brains, and all they think about is kahwin empat and Malam Jumaat.
Take whatever you want. Many flavours got
See ppl here working hard to get the Lexus car, that they have eat Lexus biscuit to save money. Come find me, I can give you good deal.
An overpriced version of the already overpriced toyota
2013 BMW F10 520i low mileage abt 10,000km now selling for RM220k.
2013 BMW F10 528i with super 240bhp powerful engine now can get for RM240k
If I buy a BMW, at least I can pull some girls. Lexus? Nobody can pull any girls. Maybe bapuk (akua) can.
I ask so many girls about Lexus, they said it is Munchy biscuit. They have no idea it is a so called luxury Toyota junk.
I might as well buy a good 2nd hand BMw or a Merc E250. At least people know I have succeeded in life as opposed to a glorified Toyota.
No wonder Lexus owners always go to Spa and Health Centre cause they cannot find or pull a life partner.
Read up or go for a test drive.
I too felt back then that Lexus are glorified Toyotas, but anymore.
Then again, looking at your comments… all i can say to you is.. “Wow, you can read the brochure!”.
When ppl talking bullshit like buying Mercedes/BMW/Lexus to get girls, they usually on a Saga/Waja/kapchai that they so naively believe luxury car is mandatory to get a girl. lol
If you wanna get Thai/China/Vietnam girls, a 15 years old RM20k E class can do you the favor. Wanna get a Malaysian girl, Toyota Vios is more than enough.
Smart girl don’t see the brand, they look at the taste and potential in you (not your car). Lesson learnt?
Vios only attract pettanko lala mui, cannot enjoice. Protons attract aweks with big big headlights. More fun. Lesson learnt?
If Im a smart girl, what i see in a lexus owner would be:
1. Have high blood pressure – cannot withstand the adrenalin rush for handling offered by the Europeans
2. Brittle bones – the driver must drive very comfortable car in order not crack his bones due to uneven roads.
3. Slightly deaf – slight noise in the cabin means he cant hear you when you are speaking to him.
4. kiasu/kiasi – Very scare car breakdown on the road side or got a little noise in the cabin will make fuss at SC.
5. Stingy – with point no.4 means he banyak kira every cent he spents.
The IS always sounds appealing on paper but when comes to taking out the cheque book, mercs and bimmers win the day.
Maybe fake cheque, lol
Yes, although i feel the IS is dynamically a good car, you can’t help that people shopping at this price bracket would fork out for a Merc C Class rather than the IS.
I remembered how Mercedes was THE ONLY company who did a increased pricing strategy to boost the sales of the W202 C Class just before it was replaced by the W203 model. Back then the W202 was facing stiff competition from the highly desirable E46 3-er and the 1st gen Lexus IS / Altezza. With some subtle restyling and upgrade of interior trim, the prices were revised upwards and sales of the aging W202 surpassed expectations, even by Mercedes.
Dear UMW, if you’re not interested in selling Lexus, just give the franchise away. It’s horrible to see how you’re turning potential customers away after all the hard work Lexus has done in elevating this brand.
Im so with you!… i cant stand how UMW just doesnt give any passion in selling Lexus cars.. They only promote what cars they think Malaysians want.. which is the ES and the NX… the IS has soooooooooooo much potential to be a big seller here.. but UMW just have to phuck it up with the pricing.. they dont even bother selling their GS and LS cause its almost never in their HQ showroom.. Japan should really look into this matter on how UMW is managing the Lexus brand here..
Meanwhile, Japan Toyota should look how UMW managing and destroying Toyota in Malaysia (it’s already become ToYoTaik in Malaysia, selling heavily stripped down features and safety spec, plus built quality as well) until most of their loyal supporters migrate to other car brand especially other Japanese counterpart and kimchi.
those who like lexus are generally toyota fans, or those in that category of pricing. unfortunately this group of people cant afford a lexus.
so much money for a premiumSpecced toyota is absolutely insane. SKIP.
Forget about comparing this car with the C Class or 3 series. With this crazy price, you could even compare this with a E Class and a 5 series…
Perfect level of luxury, perfect fit&finish, pretty great engine and car tech, EXTREMELY F*CKED UP PRICING no thanks to UMW… how does the IS300h pricing even make any sense??
IS300h and ES300h has the exact same engine and exact same specs, how ever the ES is a larger car.. How is the IS300h a whole 100k more expensive over the ES300h?? go check out other countries that sells the IS and ES hybrids… It is identical or just slightly different in pricing.. not an entire 100k difference… (the fall of the RM excuse makes no sense in this case)
I love Lexus cars.. but seriously Japan did a huge mistake to allow 1 stupid greedy company to monopolise 2 brands..
UMW, by just offering “Blind Spot Monitor + Rear Cross Traffic Alert” does not justify you to mark up the price by that much. Where the heck is the “Lexus Safety System +” which consist of Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian detection, High Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with steering assist and Intelligent High Beam Assist? Its not even available in your flagship LS!
UMW really take Malaysians as stupid consumers.. We all know Lexus is fully made in Japan and imported. BWM and Mercs are much cheaper cause they are locally assembled. Yes, their fit&finish and reliability standards are not as great as Lexus, but what about Audi and Infiniti which are also fully imported? their pricing makes sense and Infiniti’s safety technology justifies the price!
Jangan persoal! Sam Loo has personally made sure that every panel has “Hi-RV” stamped on the inside. If Virus is godcar, then Lexus is godcar punya god. So bow to your god!
Given how UMW has earned so much money by having the rights to sell Toyota and Lexus, why don’t consider local manufacturing of the selected model say RX and IS ?
Lexus International will never allow a country like Malaysia to assemble or build Lexus’.. Just look at how poorly made locally assembled Toyotas are over here? It is already a fact in the automotive industry that Lexus’ fit & finish are perfect, no rattles, no sharp edges in the cabin, no lose parts, stitching in the car always match up, chrome panels outside always match up and their cars are extremely reliable. Just compare this with CKD beemers or mercs.. looking at the chrome panels is indeed good enough to see the imperfection of CKD cars.. I’ve been inside many current 3 series to know that plastic edges are sharp in the car and door handles always squeak when u hold them. Both beemers and mercs even tend to have paint imperfection issues locally.
In fact, there are only 3 countries that Lexus assemble their cars. All models are built in Japan but Canada and the US are also assembling the new RX and if im not mistaken, the ES as well. Cause obviously Canada and USA doesnt have a stupid “tidak-apa” mentality like over here.
Yes yes. As you said, only US and Canada dun have “tidak-apa” mentality, so meaning the rest of the world has this mentality, including EU too. Right? right? right?
Good god.. Pls read carefully before you embarrass yourself.. Did I say “only” USA and Canada? Where in my sentence did u read “only” followed by “USA and Canada”? If not, kindly marinate yourself in embarrassment in one corner.
I wonder who decided on the selling price. He’s nuts!
bespoke interior is what sets it apart from its german competitors…….
the price maybe a tad bit expensive , but you do get what you are paying for…
and the moving gauge , f-sport’s party piece, will entertain the boy in you for years….
all those who complain of car prices means they can’t afford it.
have you ever heard cronies complain?
Nope. But neither do I hear LGE complain about his FOC S-class too, so…
LGE is a good negotiator. Your favorite politicians could never.
2014, Euromobil could only sell Audi A6 Hybrid @ 280k
Audi AG took over distribution in Msia.
2015, UMW could only sell Lexus ES @ 260k
Guess wat will happen soon
UMW are too comfortable with the position they have here with toyota. the pricing is just insane, who would buy a lexus IS when they can fork out a little bit more to get an evoque?
At RM300k to half a million, I wonder how the IS going to sell in Msia?? Yes, Lexus is good car.. but at this crazy price?!!
One can buy a Merc C class or BM 3 series at a lower price…
This maybe a good car but with the price here means it’s DOA – Dead On Arrival.