Lexus To Switch All-New IS Powertrain From Gasoline To Electric
by Peter Lyon · ForbesBorn is 1998 in Japan, the original Lexus IS—referred to as the IS 300 in the U.S., was a luxurious sedan that featured sporty proportions, a perky 3.0-liter straight-6 engine, and a wagon version that was launched in 2001. It also employed boy-racer styled interior appointments not normally found on Lexus cars including a chrome metal ball shifter and a chronograph-style instrument panel.
Second and third generations were subsequently launched powered by gasoline engine, but in 2026, we can expect to see the first fully electric IS land in showrooms.
When the second generation model came along in 2005, the wagon variant had disappeared due to poor sales, and the sedan now offered two models in the U.S., the IS 250 and IS 350 powered by a new 3.5-liter V6. Wanting to elevate the luxury levels inside, designers replaced the boy racer themed cockpit styling with more typical Lexus luxury including leather seats, bespoke illumination, and an optional Mark Levinson premium sound system. A high performance V8-powered IS-F model came along in 2007, a sedan that would go racing at the famed Nurburgring in 2009.
The third generation arrived in 2013 incorporating Lexus’s controversial ‘spindle grille’ design, LED headlights, and four specs including rear and AWD versions of the IS 250 and IS 350. It was the first IS model to employ a hybrid powertrain—called the IS 300h, but that model was not sold in the U.S. A 2020 update saw the sedan get a larger spindle grille, full-width tail lights and Apple and Android capability were added.
Now, according to Japan’s new car authority Best Car magazine, the fourth generation IS will comeback as a fully electric sedan and launch in 2026. In fact, we got to see a concept model of the all-new IS at the Japan Mobility Show last October in the shape of the Lexus LF-ZC concept.
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Boasting a very slippery exterior design with a Cd co-efficient of just 0.20 (anything under 0.22 creates little drag and is extremely aerodynamic), the future IS incorporates totally new proportions, taking the next-gen model in an edgy, futuristic, crossover-style direction. And we see in the attached image, the new model reinvents the spindle grille to integrate the body color and texture, essentially doing away with it.
By employing a new AWD “Direct4” system, the new IS will be able to channel power delivery to the front and rear wheels in a range of 100:0 to 0:100. It will also employ next generation steer-by-wire technology and ‘Arene OS’ which is a new state-of-the-art software platform that allows for over-the-air software updates.
While powertrain details are still sketchy, we expect the new IS to employ a new EV-dedicated platform and next-gen solid state batteries, with an AWD system that delivers acceleration comparable with current Mercedes-Benz and BMW EV models. As for the exterior, expect the edges to be toned a bit to make the car more palatable to a wider audience.