2009 Lexus IS Facelift – First Official Photos

Tuesday, September 02, 2008 | 7 Comments » Categories | Lexus, Lexus IS, Paris Auto Show |

While Lexus' execs continue to be tight lipped on the revised IS, the Japanese automaker has uploaded photos of the car on a number of its sites. The photos that we scanned confirm the minor changes seen in the official brochure that was leaked into the web last month. Unless you look really close, chances are that you probably won’t even notice any differences.

The styling revisions are limited to a slightly tweaked front grille, restyled tail lamp crystals featuring L-shaped back-up lights, redesigned exterior mirrors with integrated turn signals and new alloy wheel designs. The 2009 IS will also get new exterior and interior color combinations along with a revised electronic stability control system. According to Carscoop sources, the 2009 IS will make its public debut at the Paris Show in October. -Image gallery after the jump

7 Comments

jenny » September 03, 2008

No need to drastically alter something that is already magnificent. The new designs bring a nice touch to the IS, though not extraordinary, certainly not enough to turn away potential buyers who were already fans of the pre-facelift model. The IS is the single-most reason Lexus enjoys such a rise in sales after the implementation of their L-Finesse Design Philosophy. The IS defines so much of what it means for a car to look elegant and classy and still have enough power under the bonnet to keep the Germans on their toes. I like the 3-series, I like the new A4 and A5, but I will always love the IS.
Anonymous » September 03, 2008

Jenny,I couldn't have put it better myself! :-)
Anonymous » September 03, 2008

I still can't tell what's changed. That has to be the most subtle restyle ever.
Anonymous » September 03, 2008

Went on sale in Japan today

http://lexus.jp/models/is/index.html
Anonymous » September 05, 2008

how about a six speed manual transmission for the v6 model
Anonymous » September 09, 2008

I think the Lexus IS is a very solid automobile, but it is still a Toyota. I do not mean that in a "I am better than you" manner, but from a pure driver stand point...performance wise. I also wish they would give more interior options like the European luxury automobiles. All the Asian luxruy cars seem so bland. While the IS in sedan form does not do it for me I am very interested in what the coupe will look like.

It has a very soft feel and appeal...its a females car in my opinion. Just my 2 cents.
Kiyoshi Manabe » September 15, 2009

She is a commendable cruiser with tender ride and above-average smoothness,albeit hardly spacious.
Her visibility has a room of improvement,but her power delivery is respectable,in my view.
The IS350 is a unique guise with "Maserati Quattroporte performance for VW Passat V6 price(in Japan)". Her 0-60mph time is 4.9sec according to a major American media,that's just exhilarating. On the other hand,the IS250 with much lesser power records 7.9sec for 0-60mph time,faster than a Mercedes C250(204bhp). Along with it,some well run-in examples are said to post 0-60mph in some 7secs flat,the fastest example registers 6.66sec for 0-62mph(0-100km/h)!
These data are not only impressive for a 204-212bhp 2.5-litres with automatic but also superior to the Jaguar XF 3.0(243bhp).
Sharp styling,sophisticated inside/out and respectable performance as well as reasonable economy make the Lexus IS series one of most desirable vehicles in this segment,in parallel with BMW 3-series,new Audi A4,and VW Passat in my opinion.
Among her competitors,I'm also attracted at the Mercedes C350CGI(3498cc/292bhp direct-injection V6 powered) and the new Audi S5 Sportback!