Lexus working on all-electric IS replacement

Tuesday, 15 February 2022

This is the Electrified Sedan concept, rumoured to be the new face of the IS.

Lexus is allegedly developing an all-electric IS successor, with a launch expected by 2025. The new sedan will do battle with the likes of the Tesla Model 3, BMW i4, and Polestar 2.

The rumour comes from Japanese magazine Best Car, which says that the current IS – which was first introduced way back in 2013 – has had its shelf life extended to allow more development time for the EV.

Note the flush door handles and slim wing mirrors. Signs of an EV.

It makes sense too, considering the 2020 update was a major facelift rather than an entirely new model. Why introduce an all-new car when a fully electric version isn’t that far away?

Best Car doesn’t have that many details for us, but it does say that there will be rear- and all-wheel drive variants as well as sportier grades. It will also draw styling inspiration from the Electrified Sedan concept shown here.

**READ MORE:

* First drive review: Lexus IS

This epic beasty is the Electrified Sport, which will succeed the LFA as Lexus’ supercar.

* Road test review: Lexus IS 300

* Genesis' local launch as an all-electric brand bolstered

Lexus showed the concept off on Twitter earlier in February, boasting a redesigned front end with a much more subtle spindle grille, large corner intakes, prominent creases in the profile, and a rear end that looks a little like the LFA supercar.

While the IS EV is yet to be officially confirmed, it wouldn’t surprise us to see a legitimate debut in the coming years.

This isn’t all Lexus is working on in the EV space, either. The company has used Twitter as a space to share a bunch of concept imagery, including a new seven-seater SUV and a smaller ‘RZ’-badged SUV that will arrive as Lexus’ version of the Toyota bZ4x.

Most interesting was something called the Electrified Sport, which is going to be the all-electric replacement for the LFA. That’s an official thing too, not a rumour, as Lexus showed the concept off next to the V10-powered supercar.

Again, details are scarce, but Lexus says the supercar will have a solid state battery pack good for around 650km of range and a 0-100kmh sprint time of two seconds or less.

It has epic looks too, with a similar design language as the Electrified Sedan concept but turned up to eleven. There’s a lower, meaner front end with nostrils in the grille, a rear end that looks almost Audi-like, and slim wing mirrors.

We won’t see the production version for a few years yet, however. The Electric Sedan turning up around 2025 should keep us sated, at least.