Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Cruise into the New Year in style with Lexus’s sporty, sleek turbo sedan. The luxury Toyota marque, known for its long-standing history of reliability, has recently launched a new IS 200t line and its F Sport model is already proving to be popular with the younger demographic.
Shyju Varghese, Ebrahim K Kanoo’s Lexus sales executive, said: “Its affordability, fully loaded options, excellent handling and sporty look makes it extremely attractive, especially to young college students looking to impress and stay safe on the roads.”
After putting the kitted out vehicle through its paces, I can see why the sedan is in demand. It packs a monster of an engine under its bonnet. The four cylinder, 241hp turbocharged engine also includes an 8-speed Sport Direct-Shift transmission for maximum efficiency. It can go from 0-100 kmph in 7.58 seconds and while I’m not saying that’s how fast I went, at times, it felt like it.
From the moment I spotted the blue beauty I was in awe of its spacious interior, cool curves, gnarly grill and modern exterior. It was love at first sight. The bolstered sport bucket seat kept me comfortable and snug, perfect for long road trips which are made possible with the car’s smooth and efficient Eco mode. Before zipping out of the Sitra showroom, I admired the interior as I adjusted my mirrors and seat.
The Lexus design philosophy is ‘Intriguing Elegance’ and it truly does with its wedge metal trim on the door panels, embroidered leather and exclusive 3-spoke steering wheel designed for precise sporting control. Apparently, the designers paid close attention to the cross section shape of the steering to ensure excellent feel and grip in the driver’s hands. They also added integrated paddle shifters for dynamic manual gear changes.
The steering wheel has everything on it, making sure that you would never need to take your hands off it. Aside from the paddle shifters, there is a phenomenal entertainment system that can be controlled from the wheel including volume, multimedia mode and also take calls.
There is even a ‘easy-to-use’ multimedia system with a 7-inch Electro Multi-Vision display and media control joystick in the centre console. Drivers, welcome to the new age. While there are buttons for each feature including climate control, radio, Bluetooth, navigation and more, it’s just quicker and more fun to switch through the modes using the joystick.
I can see why the younger crowd would like this techy ride. Aside from feeling like a gamer, the vehicle is stocked with the Mark Levinson Premium Surround System, boasting a compact 12-channel amplifier and 15 GreenEdge ultra-high speakers to generate outstanding sounds.
Eager to take the car for a spin, I pressed the ‘push to start’ button and just like that I woke the sleeping beast. Inspired by the LFA supercar, the futuristic digital instrument cluster lit up. It not only shows information in a clear and logical manner but the metre-ring display also changes its colour and look to reflect the driver mode that’s been selected.
After strapping myself in, selecting my Eco drive mode and choice of music, I set out on my journey. As soon as I put the pedal to the metal I was sucked into my racing seat and rocketed out onto the road. It was an intense rush and I found myself craving more. I changed lanes with ease as the engine purred along in the smooth drive. I then pressed down the shift knob to switch to Sport mode and took off. The suspension and steering was stiffer, making it easier to hug turns at every corner. Handling was better and necessary for this speed demon. Not only was it faster but it roared.
Worried that I’d get carried away, I switched back to Eco mode to continue my joyful ride. Admittedly, music sounded better while driving the lovely Lexus, although, it could have just been the overwhelming feeling that came over me while zooming down the highway. I’m not ashamed to say that I would try to catch glimpses of myself in the sexy sedan while driving past large windows and offices. It’s a beautiful vehicle that is guaranteed to turn heads.
Driving back into the showroom I realised that I had to reverse park the car back in its designated spot. Reverse parking is not my strong suit, so I breathed a sigh of relief when the camera came on and directed me into the spot. I straightened out, aimed and voila! I managed to reverse park with ease. Is there anything this car doesn’t do?
The IS 200t luxury line starts from BD16,000 ‘off road’ and the F Sport starts from BD16,600. For those purchasing it ‘on road’, which includes insurance, registration and tinting, it starts from BD16,750 and BD17,350, respectively.
For details, contact the showroom on 17737773.
