The BMW 3 Series has long been the benchmark for compact luxury sedans, combining superb driving dynamics with German refinement and quality.

But in the Philippines, one rival beat out the 3 Series in the sales stakes. And it comes from Japan.

Lexus Philippines said in a February 2023 press statement that the Lexus IS was the country’s best-selling model in its class in 2022, according to data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI).

“Since the debut of its first-generation IS in 1999, the model has pursued the thrill of driving unique to compact rear-wheel-drive sports sedans,” the carmaker said.

“The IS has captured the hearts of over a million enthusiasts around the world, and the number is growing,” Lexus added. “That fulfilling sensation has been thoroughly enhanced in the new IS.”

Nearly 1/5 of Lexus Philippines' sales

Based on CAMPI data, there were 147 IS units sold in the country in 2022.

The IS 300h hybrid model was the better seller with 89 units, while the IS 350 sold 58 units.

This makes the IS the second-best-selling model in the Lexus Philippines lineup and accounts for around 17 percent of the brand’s 2022 sales, which amounted to 861 cars.

The marque’s top-selling model was the Lexus LM 350 van – which is based on the Toyota Alphard – with 249 units. In third place was the Lexus ES line with 123 units sold.

Sporty handling, hybrid tech

Much like the BMW 3 Series, the Lexus IS uses a traditional front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout that provides more balanced handling.

Lexus Philippines said the newest IS, which was launched locally on November 2020, was developed at Toyota’s Shimoyama Test Track.

“With an aim to pursue the fun of driving, and based on the philosophy that 'roads make cars,’ we brought the new IS to life by thoroughly driving it in harsh environments, including at the Shimoyama Technical Center, which opened in 2019,” said Lexus International’s Takumi Yoshiaki Ito. 

“We paid particular attention to aesthetic and emotional values, which cannot be measured using numbers alone, so as to pursue linear operation that is faithful to driver intention, such as during successive driving operations and in terms of driving rhythm,” he added.

The IS 350 is powered by a 3.5-liter, twin-cam, 24-valve V6 gasoline engine producing 310 PS and 375 Nm of torque. This is mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

Meanwhile, the IS 300h has a 2.5-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine mated to an electric generator. Combined output is at 223 PS and 300 Nm of torque, coursed through a continuously variable transmission.

3 Lexus IS variants

The Lexus IS is available in three grades in the Philippines:

• IS 300h Executive – ₱3,038,000

• IS 300h Premier – ₱3,398,000

• IS 350 F Sport – ₱4,178,000

The Lexus IS also comes standard with the LSS+2 active-safety suite. This includes features like Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Tracing Assist and Automatic High Beam. 

Meanwhile, the F Sport model comes equipped with the upgraded Pre-Collision system that detects oncoming vehicles and pedestrians, even when turning left or right at intersections.

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