In a move that surprises no one, the new motor is the 2.0L turbo four-cylinder mill recently launched in the NXt compact crossover, and it goes to work in the base IS 200t model, making the same 241 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque as it does in the NX.
Next up the ladder is the IS 300. What this trim’s name doesn’t tell you is that it uses the same 3.5L V6 found in the IS 350, but tuned for 255 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque.
Finally, the IS 350 returns as the top trim, with its version of the 3.5L making the same 306 hp and 277 lb-ft as it did in last year’s model.
All-wheel drive returns, but only in IS 300 and 350 trims, leaving the 200t as a rear-driver.
That's insane. Absolutely insane.
The de-tuned 3.5L will hardly be better on gas, and is ridiculously underpowered given its displacement. The 2.0T already comes with AWD in the NX200t, so why not here? It's obviously a bean-counter push to get folks into the IS350, but what the
, Lexus?! Here, take an extra 2 cylinders with 1.5L of extra displacement for 14hp at the expense of 22 lb-ft of torque (the lower figure of which will likely come on at higher RPMs).
The real winner here is the 2.0T RWD, assuming you live somewhere warm.
I'm absolutely dumbfounded here, unless there's a massive price drop in the base trim and the IS300 AWD comes in at the same price as the current IS250 AWD. Even then, this is just nuts to me - copying Mercedes's prior model of the C250, C300, and C350 (with the C300 being a de-tuned 3.5L). Dumb-as-fack to me.
