Lexus IS 250C 2009 Review - International

Lexus IS 250C

First International Drive

For a premium brand that's barely two decades old, Lexus has made a nice little earner internationally by trundling out an assortment of sedans and SUVs -- but if there's been one glaring omission, it's the lack of a practical, affordable convertible. Sure, the ageing SC 430 has been around for the past several years, but its price puts it beyond the grasp of the large majority of convertible shoppers -- and its styling is polarising, to say the least.

Enter the new IS 250C (it launches locally at the end of July -- more on local prices and spec here), a belated drop-top derivative of the familiar IS sedan that's been a steady seller locally since its November 2005 debut.

Although visually similar to the existing four-door, the topless IS shares only its bonnet, headlights, door handles and door mirrors with the former. All other body panels have been redesigned to house the folding roof and minimise bouffant-bashing turbulence during open-top cruising. The metal hardhat is a three-panel affair, and it can deploy in 20 seconds, claimed to be the fastest erection time for this type of retractable lid.

Mechanically, the IS 250C is as per the sedan, which means its propulsion comes from a 2.5-litre V6 with 153kW and 252Nm, and these outputs are channelled to the rear wheels by a six-speed automatic transmission. Now, here's the thing, in the sedan this engine/transmission combo combines to deliver a respectable -- if not electrifying -- turn of speed, but the convertible's added girth (it tips the scales at a lardy 1735kg) saps performance appreciably.

Lexus may tout the car as being "sporty", but the reality is anything but. Extracting anything even remotely resembling lively acceleration requires a determined stomp on the throttle and/or manually selecting a lower gear ratio via the steering wheel-mounted paddles, which, it must be said, are beautifully tactile.

The IS 250C isn't the ultimate device for carving up twisty roads either. The softish suspension settings -- clearly tuned for ride comfort -- mean the Lex feels slightly roly-poly if you push hard through the tight stuff.

Okay, that's the gripes out of the way -- now for the good bits. The IS 250C is as quiet and refined as any convertible we've driven, and its comfort/equipment levels are hard to fault. Useful features include a climate-control system that's been configured for top-down motoring via a speed-sensitive control that automatically increases airflow in roof-down mode, further boosting flow as the car's speed increases. What's more, the 12-speaker 365W Mark Levinson Surround System cranks out good sound whether the roof is up or down, automatically adapting to the loss of bass when the roof is stowed.

Ingress and egress are made easier by front doors that are around 280mm longer than those of the IS sedan, and a new one-touch electric mechanism provides easier entry and exit to the rear seats through a speedy front seat fold-and-slide function. That said, the rear seats aren't exactly spacious -- in fact, they're best allocated to tiny tots.

Boot capacity measures a generous 583 with the roof in place, and 235 litres with the lid retracted.

Lexus claims the IS 250C is the only car in its class that can swallow a 9-inch wide golf bag with the hardtop stowed, but a more useful stat is the fact that you can stuff in several bags of groceries without having to put the top up.

The three-piece roof is made entirely of lightweight aluminium and uses 13 motors and 33 sensors to enact its feat of mechanised ballet. The entire headlining is trimmed in fabric for added sound insulation, and Lexus says it has optimised the seals to ensure there's no leaks -- even from high-pressure cleaning jets.

You can raise or lower the roof by simply pressing a button on the dashboard, and there's a novel 'roof brake' component that slows the closing action as the hard top approaches the top edge of the windscreen. Unlike other systems where the weight of the roof causes it to close with a thud, the IS 250C's hardtop descends smoothly into place. Classy.

Visually, the drop-top Lex carries over the look of its sedan sibling, but the face is subtly revised, and the profile is distinguished by a rising beltline that kicks up towards the rear.

Styling is a subjective area, but some potential buyers may not be overly enamoured with the chunky derriere required to house the folding hardtop. Also less than pretty are the easily discernible shut-lines in the rear fender and roof assembly. On the whole, though, it's not a bad looker.

The overall impression is of a refined and easy-to-live-with convertible. The IS 250C isn't a pulse-elevating driver's car, but rather a relaxed open-air cruiser, which is what most potential buyers in this segment will be looking for in any case.

Look out for our full local launch review soon.

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