Facelifted Lexus IS revealed at Paris motor show

The facelifted Lexus IS saloon range has been revealed at the Paris motor show. The current IS has been on sale since 2013, so this refresh is designed to keep the car competitive against the likes of the BMW 3 Series, Jaguar XE, Mercedes C-Class and our current Car of the Year, the Audi A4.

Lexus admits that styling changes to this facelifted IS are minor. They consist of new front and rear headlight designs, larger air intakes in the front bumper and an evolved version of Lexus's spindle grille.

There are greater changes inside, where the car's old 7.0in infotainment system has been increased to 10.2in, with a new high-resolution screen. There are also myriad changes to the car's interior trim.

The IS's suite of safety technology also gains autonomous emergency braking for the first time, as well as adaptive cruise control, high-beam assistance, and lane departure warnings.

Like the current IS, buyers will be able to choose from the IS 300h hybrid model or the IS 200t, which gets a 2.0-litre petrol engine.

While the hybrid model's low emissions make it an attractive proposition for company car drivers, we've ultimately been unimpressed with the IS so far, due to its loud petrol engine, tight rear head room and distracting infotainment system.

There's no official word on pricing for the facelifted IS yet, but the current range costs from £28,995 in the UK. By comparison, the Audi A4 is priced from £26,350.

Read more - our full Lexus IS review

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