While Lexus has updated its smallest sports sedan recently, the amazing IS500 can’t hide its old underpinnings. Thankfully, the Japanese luxury automaker is still interested in the segment and will introduce an all-new Lexus IS in 2025 with, get this, a battery-electric powertrain.
Lexus (and Toyota) was initially reluctant to adopt EV technology, saying that its hybrids were efficient and good for the environment. But late in 2021, the Japanese released a barrage of concepts that preview dozens of potential electric models scattered across all segments.
As we discussed recently, even the legendary Toyota Celica might become a performance EV, but the all-electric Lexus IS should arrive even sooner. According to the same source as the Celica story, Best Car Web, the Lexus IS BEV is coming in about three years and will be available as both a sedan and a kind of hatchback/wagon thing, like the Panamera Sport Turismo.
Now, it’s important to note that the story hasn’t been published yet, at least not online. So our source is actually YouTuber Kirk Kreifels, who bought the next issue of the magazine and tried to translate it. According to him, you shouldn’t really take this with a grain of salt, since Best Car has proven very accurate in the past.
Adding credibility to the report is the fact that Lexus has already presented a kind of preview last December. It’s called the Electrified Sedan Concept (grey can in photos). It already had many IS-like design elements, like the shape of the C-pillar.
Interestingly, besides the wagon, there might be a lifted wagon version and a convertible, all based on a new platform. Apparently, Lexus really wants a hatchback in order to compete in Europe. They haven’t offered this type of car since the IS300 SportCross in the 2000s.
Now, there aren’t details regarding the exact powertrains, but Lexus apparently wants true torque vectoring with dual motors at the back. That very much sounds like there will be at least one performance version. Also, a joint venture with Aisin and Denso will give the future IS a 2-speed gearbox, just like the Porsche Taycan.
