Lexus IS 250 receives 2011 updates

Lexus IS 250 receives 2011 updates

by -

Lexus has just introduced a round of minor updates to its IS 250 sedan for the upcoming 2011 model year. Two variants remain – IS 250 and IS 250 Luxury – with the cheaper one receiving a minor price hike of RM5,000 to retail at RM282,386.20 with insurance. The IS 250 Luxury continues at the same price of RM313,166.20.

Featuring direct injection and dual VVT-i, the IS 250’s 2.5-litre cast aluminium V6 motor makes 205hp @ 6,400rpm and 252Nm @ 4,800rpm. These figures keep the IS 250 on par with the natural-breathing BMW 325i, but it’s best not to stack it up against turbocharged rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz C 250 CGI or the Audi A4 2.0TFSI.

Sending the engine’s output to the tail end is a 6-speed automatic transmission with A.I. SHIFT Sport Driving Control (i.e. manual override) as standard. The transmission interface includes paddle shifters to cater for the needs of the sporty driver.

If spotting re-sculptured bumpers is not your forte, cues for you to identify the 2011-vintage IS 250 would start with the arrowhead LED daytime running lights residing along the base of the smoked headlight assembly. High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights with auto-leveling are now standard items as well on the IS 250. The tail lamps have also received a minor revision, with the signal and reverse lamps covered in a pink-smoke effect.

Inside, the famous Optitron instrument panel, pioneered by Lexus themselves, have been given a revision. Meanwhile, audio options are comprehensive. The standard IS 250 gets the Lexus Premium system with 8 speakers, in-dash 6CD changer, USB and AUX connection. In the IS 250 Luxury, the speaker count goes up to 13, with MP3/WMA compatibility thrown in. The higher variant also has the option of speccing up to a 14-speaker Mark Levinson system with a 7″ touch screen and the Lexus Navigation package.

In the aspect of safety, the IS 250 comes equipped with the Lexus Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM, or stability control, if you prefer), ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, and 8 airbags.

The new Lexus IS 250 Luxury and IS 250 come with a 3-year/100,000km (whichever occurs earlier after first registration) warranty, subject to conditions stated in the Owner’s Handbook.

Pictures: Official Lexus release.

1 COMMENT

Leave a Reply