LEXUS says its new IS hybrid beats its premium two-litre diesel rivals on costs – and that could make it an interesting an option for company car drivers.
The last IS was available with a diesel engine but the new one offers a full hybrid model instead.
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The Lexus IS 300h provides tax savings thanks to its 99g/km CO2 emissions and should be fairly light on the wallet at the pumps, thanks to combined consumption of 65.7 mpg.
Hybrids also score on durability and maintenance costs, with the hybrid’s regenerative braking, for example, taking the strain off the car’s brake discs and pads. Lexus says IS 300h service costs undercut those of diesel automatic rivals from Mercedes, Audi and BMW by as much as £443, thanks mainly to the reduction in labour time.
Lexus also cites estimates from CAP, the residual values experts, that the models with the best-selling trim level, Luxury, should keep 37 per cent of their value over three years and 60,000 miles. That should help to keep business car leasing prices down.
The new IS is being introduced to the UK in July, with prices starting at £29,495 for the entry-level SE trim.
