Lexus goes convertible with the IS250C and delivers a car that is perfect for California.
The company hopes to attract younger buyers to the Toyota-owned brand with the convertible version of the IS saloon.
In the 'flesh' this drop top BMW 3 Series rival is smart, although the wheel arches could be filled with bigger alloys to keep the car in proportion. The 17" rims fitted to my test car looked tiny. The exterior is virtually all-new, with only a few bits carried over, such as the bonnet, headlamps, mirrors and door handles. The roofline is nice and low. The three-piece roof opens or closes in a class-leading 20 seconds thanks to 15 motors and 37 sensors. The rear parking sensors act as a roof lowering aid by judging whether there is enough room to the rear to allow the boot to open backwards (+250mm).
Subtle bulges on the boot add just a hint of Speedster to the car's high shoulder-line. Lexus has gone down the route of foldable hard top and this means that the car's rear is quite plump. The car's designer, Keiichi Yoneda, told me that he wanted the four-seat IS250C to be capable of carrying two sets of golf clubs with the roof up and at least one set with the roof down when just 235 litres of luggage space is available - this perhaps tells you more about the target market.
Inside my test car was a very dark. The cabin featured soft black leather and trim. The switchgear is pure IS and the only addition is a roof status indicator on the dash. The kitchen sink is standard plus there is a new and clever Airflow air conditioning system. I was surprised to find the absence of a single button to lower all four side windows, though. The IS250C is a strong car and it is also the first Lexus to feature a passenger side 'Knee' airbag as standard. The cabin seats four adults and while it is cosy in the back, the redesigned arched seatbacks offer a little more legroom to occupants in the rear.
Power comes from the silky smooth 208bhp direct injection V6. The 2.5 litre petrol engine delivers its power through a six-speed automatic gearbox. The extra weight of the roof mechanism and additional strengthening of the body has curbed the car's performance. CO2 (219g/km) and fuel consumption suffer, too. The IS250C takes a rather sedate 9 seconds to get from 0-100km/h. The IS250C only comes as an automatic but you do get paddle shifts and a sports mode for your €61,400 (you can spend an additional total of €16,635 on optional extras). This car is clearly built as a cruiser for the American market and as such is next to perfect. It handles well without providing excitement and the ride is super smooth as is the levels of refinement with the roof up. The low level of noise vibration and harshness (NVH) is truly impressive.
We will have to wait until the next generation IS to get either a manual, diesel or hybrid powered convertible. Lexus expects to shift 2000 units in Europe this year and we in Ireland will get the car at the end of July 2009.
The IS250C is a comfortable, capable convertible that just needs a little more 'X' factor to make it truly desirable.
Michael Sheridan
