IS gets special makeover

If you’re a Lexus fan, but your budget can’t quite stretch to the IS F super-saloon, help is at hand in the shape of the IS250 SR.

The newcomer is designed to offer some of the range-topper’s sporty touches without the price tag or running costs. Based on the standard IS250, the SR features a chunky bodykit with a deeper front bumper and a subtle bootlid spoiler. The exterior package also includes profiled side skirts and new 17-inch alloy wheels, with 18-inch ‘Tsuki’ rims available as an option.

Inside, the SR carries all the usual IS250 equipment, including 10 airbags, climate and cruise control, keyless entry and LED interior lighting, but adds aluminium scuff plates and pedals, plus heated front seats. Yet while the updates have a distinctly racy flavour, the SR is powered by the same 2.5-litre petrol V6 that appears in the rest of the range. It delivers 204bhp and can propel the SR from 0-60mph in 8.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 140mph.

Lexus claims that if customers were to spec up a standard IS250 to the level of the SR, it would cost more than £3,500. However, at £24,990 for the manual version and £25,800 for the automatic, the SR is only £1,000 more than the normal model.