2021 Lexus IS debuts in Australia – from RM182,097

The 2021 Lexus IS has become available for pre-order in Australia, four months after the comprehensively revised sedan made its global debut. The sedan for the Australian market will include five Lexus firsts – intersection turn assist, emergency steering assist, automatic collision notification, SOS call and stolen vehicle tracking.

The IS range starts with the IS 300 Luxury at AUD61,500 (RM182,097), and this is powered by a 2.0 litre turbocharged inline-four petrol engine that produces 241 hp and 350 Nm of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The next available powertrain in the range is the IS 300h Luxury hybrid at AUD64,500 (RM190,733), which combines a 2.5 litre naturally aspirated inline-four petrol engine with 221 Nm of torque and an electric motor with 300 Nm of torque, coming together for a total system output of 220 hp.

Both the IS 300 Luxury and IS 300h Luxury can be optioned with the AUD2,000 (RM5,914) Enhancement Pack, which adds a moonroof, or the AUD5,500 (RM16,264) Enhancement Pack 2, which, in addition to the moonroof, brings 19-inch wheels, high-grade LED headlamps, leather seat trim accents, ventilated front seats, driver seat memory settings, a powered rear sunshade and a 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system.

Other standard features in the IS Luxury trim level include a 10.3-inch touchscreen with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, smart entry, heatd and eight-way adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control, 10-speaker audio, satellite navigation with Suna 6 live traffic, voice control and LED headlamps with automatic high-beam.

The third, range-topping powertrain option for the IS in Australia is the 311 hp/380 Nm 3.5 litre naturally aspirated V6 engine in the IS 350 which starts from AUD75,000 (RM221,829), where the F Sport is the sole trim variant available. This is also paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, sending drive to the rear wheels.

Here on the F Sport, standard kit includes 19-inch alloys, F Sport bodykit and spoiler, F Sport scuff plates and ornamentation, high-grade LED headlamps, five-mode Drive Select, adaptive variable suspension, F Sport leather trim accents, sport seats and pedals, driver seat memory settings, ventilated front seats and an eight-inch digital instrument display.

Buyers of the F Sport trim level across all three IS 300, IS 300h and IS 350 variants can also opt for the optional Enhancement Pack at AUD3,300 (RM9,760), which brings a moonroof, powered rear sunshade and the 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system.

Safety kit on the Lexus IS includes the Lexus Safety System+ with pre-collision warning, pre-collision brake assist with pedestrian and cyclist daytime detection, and pre-collision braking (autonomous emergency braking) with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection. The IS also gets intersection left- and right-turn assistance, which warns the driver and applies the brakes if he or she is about to turn into oncoming traffic.

The IS for the Australian market also gets emergency steering assist, which automatically applies steering torque to manoeuvre the car around an unforeseen pedestrian while staying within its own lane. Further driver assistance systems include all-speed active cruise control, lane tracing assist, road sign assist, blind spot monitor, parking support brake and rear cross-traffic alert with braking.

Orders are being taken in Australia for the 2021 Lexus IS range, and the sedan will arrive in Lexus dealerships in that country from November 6.

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