Story & photos by Ronald Rey M. de los Reyes
IN the 1980’s, Japanese car inventors flew to America to find out what actually made the rich of the Western world tick. After much research, they cooked up a brand name derived from the acronym of “luxury exports to the US”. Today Lexus is known as the Land of the Rising Sun’s largest-selling make of premium cars, which are sold to over 70 countries worldwide.
This sense of luxury continues to thrive right on our very own shores with the launch of the 2017 Lexus IS 350, which was held at their showroom inside the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
“The Lexus brand has always been equated to superlatives in terms of its technology, safety features, craftsmanship and customer care. For almost eight years in the Philippines, you have heard us say that we are relentless in the pursuit of perfection in our products and in the way we interact with customers,” Lexus President Danny Isla said during his speech at the unveiling ceremony.
“We are humbled by the fact that, in just a few years, Lexus is now recognized as one of the stronger brands in the Philippine luxury market,” he continued.
According to Isla, the company has been transparent in all its transactions and has remained fair to all. Lexus’s one-price policy applies to everyone and that it is pleased that this policy was well accepted by the market.
The brand is known for its quiet elegance, superb driving experience, as well as luxury in calm and humble ways—in short, it is luxury at its finest.
Indeed, the new IS 350 exudes elegance in more ways than one.
The model has come a long way since its introduction in 2000 as Lexus’s series of entry-level sports sedans. With its first entry in the Specialty Equipment Market Association (Sema) in the US in 2007 with the then new F-Sport variant, it was primed to rival Mercedes-Benz’s AMG and BMW’s M divisions.
Now, more than just a crowd-pleaser, the IS is boldly putting up a more aggressive attitude as it, in fact, has surpassed Lexus’s expectations with the even greater popularity that it has gained in the market since the third-generation vehicle was ushered in 2013.
“From 2014 until 2016, the IS lineup, so far, has garnered a total of 442 units,” stated Spencer Yu, Lexus sales and marketing director.
“We expect much from the model since, for us, IS stands for ‘increased sales’,” he added.
This refreshed model now dons an entirely transformed front fascia highlighted by new headlamps, large air intakes in the front bumper and an evolved spindle grille. Its more accented and clear-cut headlamps extend inward, thus its undeniable eloquent crisp-looking “L”-shaped Daytime Running Lights (DRL), while the new front grille flows back seamlessly blending into the reshaped hood ably presenting a more sportier vibe.
For its more athletic brother, the F-Sport variant, meanwhile, an exclusive three-dimensional F-mesh pattern, with a jet-black metallic coating captures everyone’s eye. Integrated with functional brake ducts, its grille improves the vehicle’s aerodynamic performance. As icing on this looker’s swagger are the 10-spoke 17-inch wheels that serve as frills for its four strong legs.
As an exclamation point, this IS is capped by a commanding triple-layered “L”-shaped LED taillights that leave a striking presence on the road.
Inside, immediately drawing attention is its larger multimedia display that has been upgraded to 10.3 inches from the previous seven inches. Enhancing its stylish feel are its new stitching on the meter hood, redesigned speedometer, tachometer and analog clock, complemented by new cupholders and bigger leather-wrapped palm rest with new knitting for the Remote Touch Interface (RTI).
An “Enter” button has also been added to the RTI, providing the system a one-of-a-kind ease-of-use. The audio and ventilation-control panel on the center dash has also been levelled up a notch. Lined with a new hairline finish, it provides not only an improved appearance, but a high-quality feel, as well.
Deep Blue Mica and Graphite Black Glass Flake hues have been added to the IS’s exterior color palate as new interior color—Chateau—has replaced Moonstone and Ivory. Chateau is a new light shade that melds the elegance of Ivory with a contemporary light-gray tincture.
At the heart of the IS is its 3.5L engine mated to a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission that thrusts the stunning machine forward with 312 PS at 6,400 revolutions per minute, along with 375 N-m of torque at 4,800 rpm. The 2017 Lexus 350 is priced at P2.668 million, while the top variant IS 350 F-Sport is available at P3.198 million.
Image credits: Ronald Rey M. de los Reyes