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This is a lease special car, kind of like the 5 series and 3 series. Most people who are getting this don't care about the engine, they just like the refresh and it'll tap into all the people re-upping their leases and have no plans to stray from Lexus.
Imo it looks great. Better than a c class, A4, and 3 series but only in the F sport trim. Looks a little weird in the base trim, but so do the aforementioned competitors cars. I still like the IS interior, doesn't need a bunch of tablets everywhere. Lexus is always behind other competitors in the engine department but that's bc they are known for reliability. Why give that reputation up for a car that's a lease special. If they stuck a 400 hp turbo in this thing would anyone really care? It would get disregarded bc it's not extreme enough to be an m3 competitor. It'll compete with a 340i, S4, etc but how many people are really buying those cars, and how many of those will leave BMW/Audi for the IS? I see a crapload of ISs around bc the formula works and Lexus does have a decent market share with the IS.
This was a smart play for Lexus. Instead of wasting money on developing an entirely new car, they can put their R&D into going fully electric and, hopefully, consolidate the model lineup and keep a couple of ICE enthusiasts models around (e.g. ISF, RCF, maybe LC).
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