Lexus IS200t – Its what Clark Kent would drive.

Lexus continues to release models that have super hero qualities hidden by everyday secret identities. Lets take the new IS200t, You could walk right past the vehicle in a parking lot and completely miss it because it seamlessly blends in with the cars around it. However, whip off the glasses, comb the hair the other way and all of a sudden you have a hero in your midst.

At first glance the vehicle has no stand out features, it is somewhat uninspiring but on closer inspection you begin to notice little nuances. There are crease lines that appear and reappear, small pinches and tweaks along the body that let you know that something about this car is “special”.

Interior

In the EX model we tested interior trim comes in full leather in either Ivory white or Classic black with piano black inserts and a titanium effect on certain trim panels. Slide into the drivers seat and an auto electric adjustable steering wheel rises up to meet you. There is also plenty of mod cons, full electrically adjustable and heated, air conditioned seats, touch controls for the temperature adjustment of the dual zone climate control and a wicked little mouse pointer device to help you scroll through the endless array of features on the 7 inch screen.

Once you are comfortable, drop the auto shifter into drive, put your foot down and the world disappears.

Engine and Drive Train

A lot of technical development went into the 2l turbo motor now residing in the IS200t and it shows. Power figures sit at 180kW and 350Nm  Around town the Lexus eats up the bumps and undulations in the ECO mode and you don’t actually mind sitting in traffic. Lexus claims you should get about 7.2l/100Km but we were closer to 8.4. Emissions are pegged at just 175g/km. Sport mode with manual control engaged can see you reach 0-100km/h in just over 7 seconds and that is thanks to the brilliant engine powering the rear wheels.

The 8AR-FTS engine features a twin scroll turbo charger which minimizes lag and in another first the engine features an integrated intake manifold that is actually part of the cylinder head. Lexus have also moved the intercooler to maximize the turbo response. All these technological advances make for an outstanding drive.

The VVTi-W system controls the engine so well that shifting between the ECO, Sport and Normal modes is seamless while the ESTEC fuel injection provides optimum combustion in the cylinders at all times. This enables the IS200t to deliver the best drive no matter where you are or who you are chasing.

The Drive

The ride was supple and compliant and not at all unpleasant seeing as the roads were incredibly bumpy. The engineer that tweaked and fettled the suspension on the IS200t deserves a medal as pitching the car into a turn during some spirited driving saw it simply hunker down and power through without so much as a redirection when small bumps were encountered.

As soon as we the roads opened up we switched the vehicle into sport mode that’s where the IS200t came to life. Switching from full auto into manual and using the paddle shifters really brought the Lexus into its own. 8 gears in the SDS transmission get the IS200t to mind bending speeds on the open road.
The build quality of the Lexus is impeccable so much so that at times the sound of the seat cooling fans made more noise than the car itself  at full tilt.

Although the exterior isn’t what one would call exciting I do quite like the fact that it hides very well in plain site. The subdued styling lines hide the power beneath and interior luxury makes you forget how fast the IS200t can actually be.

Pricing

Lexus has the following models available in a range of exciting new colours.

Lexus IS 200t E	- R 518 800
Lexus IS200t EX	- R 570 300
Lexus IS350 F Sport	- R 627 900

Lexus naturally offer a 4 year/ 100 000km warranty and all models are subject to various “ Distance Plans ”.