Japanese car-maker Lexus was gunning for Mercedes-Benz and BMW with its third-generation IS, launched in July 2013.<br /><br />Depending on how you looked at it, the styling of the IS was either a watering down of its stunning LF-CC Paris motor show coupe concept, or a classy re-imagining of the previous generation’s design.<br /><br />Australia counted as the third largest market for the IS globally, and Lexus planned to keep it that way by maintaining competitive pricing and high levels of specification.<br /><br />Powertrains included the familiar 153kW/252Nm 2.5-litre V6 in the IS250 and the 233kW/378Nm 3.5-litre V6 in the IS350 that were both carried over.<br /><br />Meanwhile, a new hybrid IS300h variant paired a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and a nickel-metal hydride battery for a total output of 164kW, producing official combined-cycle fuel consumption of 4.9 litres per 100km.