Brussels, Belgium - Lexus has a new millionaire with global sales of the IS range of sports saloons moving into seven figures at the end of July. It’s a big achievement for a car that was the first Lexus to be designed primarily for the European market, a region where its popularity remains strong today. In fact, one in five Lexus IS sold worldwide is sold in Europe.

Seventeen years ago, Lexus’ intention was for the IS to attract new, younger customers to the brand; being a sporty, compact saloon offering sharp styling, a responsive straight-six 2.0-litre engine and rear-wheel drive. As the third Lexus to debut in Europe after the original LS and GS models, it succeeded in giving the company a presence in a large and highly competitive part of the premium car market, its outstanding driving dynamics and sporting profile matched by high equipment and safety levels. Lexus’s fast-growing reputation for excellent quality and customer service further helped the IS win customer interest, and the range soon expanded to include the more powerful 3.0-litre IS 300 and, from 2001, the novel SportCross compact wagon.

The original IS proved an effective pathfinder for Lexus through to 2005 when the second generation model made its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Displaying more distinctive and sophisticated styling rooted in Lexus’s new L-finesse design philosophy and even more refinement, the newcomer provided the platform for Lexus to explore new possibilities that would see the IS develop much wider market appeal. The initial IS 250, featuring a 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine and available with a new automatic transmission, was joined in 2006 by the first diesel-powered Lexus, the IS 220d.

A year later, the Detroit Motor Show witnessed the unveiling of the IS F, a high-performance saloon “built by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts,” as Lexus declared. This was the first Lexus to wear the F performance badge, a predecessor of the LFA supercar and today’s RC F and GS F models. Every part of the car was honed for performance and driving pleasure. Its 5.0-litre V8 engine delivered 423 DIN hp through the world’s first eight-speed transmissions, enabling the car to move from rest to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds, en route to a 270 km/h top speed. The IS F was genuinely race track-bred, with extensive testing at the Fuji Speedway in Japan and on Germany’s renowned Nürburgring. As a thoroughbred, it was engineered with dedicated performance components, from its engine, transmission and suspension to its wheels and tyres.

The versatility of the IS was further explored in 2009 with the introduction of the IS 250C, a svelte coupe-convertible equipped with a three-part retracting hard-top. Not only was the roof mechanism the fastest-operating on the market, its ingenious design ensured the IS C looked equally good with top up or down, and allowed for generous space for rear seat occupants.

The current, third generation IS marked the beginning of a new era for the model with the introduction of Lexus Hybrid Drive to the range for the first time. Since the model’s launch in 2013, the IS 300h has proved by far the most popular choice for European customers, claiming 90 per cent of IS sales. The full hybrid model delivers exceptional smoothness and efficiency while preserving the driver rewards that have traditionally been part of the IS’s special appeal. The powertrain combines a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder Atkinson cycle petrol engine with a compact, powerful electric motor for smooth and responsive performance, supported by the use of Dual VVT-i intelligent variable valve timing, Lexus’s D-4S fuel injection technology and a high-efficiency exhaust gas recirculation system. The advanced engineering delivers unprecedented low exhaust emissions and fuel economy for the IS, with official performance figures from 97 g/km of CO2 and 4.3 l/100km, strengthening the model’s attractiveness in a market where environmental performance and ownership costs are key customer considerations.

The IS also offers a 2.0-litre turbo engine with innovative D-4ST fuel injection technology for both fuel economy and instantaneous torque. The Lexus IS 200t delivers 245 DIN hp with a maximum torque of 350 Nm. Capable of rapid acceleration up to a top speed of 230 km/h, its eight speed Sport Direct Shift transmission was developed for the high-performance RC F.

The IS continues to be a core part of Lexus’s worldwide model range, currently marketed in more than 70 countries and achieving sales of more than 6,000 units every month.

Lexus has no peers when it comes to reliability, being the only manufacturer accorded a top five-star rating in the 2016 Which? Car Survey.

The survey results were calculated from the real-world ownership experiences of almost 60,000 people, taking into account issues such breakdowns, repair costs, common faults and the number of days vehicles have had to be taken off the road to correct problems.

Lexus achieved strong results across the board in the Which? guide to the best new and used buys in different market categories. The NX crossover was named the best compact SUV on the new car market, with a five-star reliability rating, while the second and third generation RX models were revealed as the two best large SUVs for used vehicle customers. The IS and GS saloons also achieved top-four placings in the large and luxury car categories, while the CT 200h hatchback was given a “best buy” recommendation among new medium-size models.

Ewan Shepherd, Lexus Director, said: “Which? is respected worldwide for the accuracy and thoroughness of its product testing and investigations, which makes this result especially rewarding for us. Lexus’s reputation is built on not just developing excellent vehicles, but also on providing our customers with an exceptional ownership experience, so it is hugely encouraging to receive such positive feedback and support for what we are delivering with our model range and the service we are providing in our showrooms and workshops.”

Which? is not alone in finding that Lexus provides lasting quality and satisfaction, new or old. This year’s Auto Express Driver Power survey was an unprecedented success for Lexus, with models claiming first, second and three other places in the top 10, and Autocar declaring the IS executive sports saloon its Used Car of the Year.

Brussels, Belgium - The annual AUTOCAR AWARDS recognise some of the industry’s most significant cars and characters. Lexus is pleased to communicate that the Lexus IS has won the coveted Autocar Used Car of the Year 2016 award.

Explaining its decision, Autocar said: “What we have seen and heard from owners, mechanics and the car trade convinced us that there is no other model so deserving of the title. The simple fact is that no one has a bad word to say about their Lexus IS.”

Autocar Editorial Director Jim Holder, added: “We selected the Lexus because it’s inexpensive to buy, has a reliability record that’s the envy of the industry and it’s extremely cost-effective to run.”

Combining elegance with sporty dynamism, the IS offers the perfect balance of luxurious comfort and performance. Since the launch of the first generation IS in 1999, Lexus has already sold more than 180,000 units in Europe. The 2016 range includes the full hybrid IS 300h and the new IS 200t, powered by a 2.0-litre petrol turbo engine.

Lexus has also dominated the AUTO EXPRESS 2016 DRIVER POWER SURVEY, with Lexus models topping three categories for the UK’s most reliable used cars.

Our three winning models were the IS as the most reliable used compact executive car, the RX as the most reliable used 4×4 or SUV, and the GS as the most reliable used executive car. Our CT was also runner-up in the most reliable compact family cars category.

The 2016 Driver Power car customer satisfaction survey asked 50,000 UK car owners how they rated their cars for reliability, with the data providing an invaluable insight for anyone considering the purchase of a new car. This is a good indicator of what real owners think of their cars, across a wide range of categories including reliability, build quality, handling, performance, running costs and more.

Steve Fowler, Editor-in-Chief of Auto Express, said “it seems to be a given that Lexus will dominate the reliability charts in our Driver Power Survey, so it’s no surprise that’s the case in 2016. A Lexus is very unlikely to go wrong – and if it does, the dealers will react superbly to fix things.”

• Third generation RX luxury SUV named the UK’s most reliable car, ahead of the current IS sedan
• Lexus GS placed fourth, with NX and CT rounding off the top 10-rated models
• Clean sweep in survey’s top three for build quality for NX, and second and third generation RX
• Four Lexus models in the top 10 “best cars to own”
• Survey based on the real-world experiences of almost 50,000 motorists

London, United Kingdom - Lexus has achieved unprecedented success in Auto Express’s search for the UK’s most reliable cars. The results of the 2016 Driver Power survey see the third generation RX luxury SUV achieving the highest rating, narrowly ahead of the current IS saloon.

A top-three clean-sweep was only prevented by the achievement of the Toyota Land Cruiser in third place, shading out the current Lexus GS saloon. To complete the emphatic performance, the NX crossover and CT premium hatchback rounded off the survey’s top 10 models.

In fact every Lexus model eligible for the survey is featured. The absence of the RC coupe (only recently launched) and the LS limousine is that they have not achieved the sales volumes required for inclusion.

Auto Express declared Lexus has “smashed” the survey, which brings together the real-world experiences and opinions of almost 50,000 motorists. Announcing the results, it said: “A new Lexus RX was launched in 2015, but given the Japanese marque’s formidable performance, who would bet against the new version repeating the success of its predecessor, which tops our reliability chart this year.”

Turning to the IS, it describes how the car “doesn’t take any prisoners when it comes to reliability,” an area where it has “forged a reputation for excellence”. The GS is praised for its “luxuriously appointed and high-spec’ interior” and the NX is recognised for adding excellent reliability to the qualities that it shares with its larger RX sister model.

Ewan Shepherd, Lexus Director, said: “We strive to give our customers complete peace of mind when it comes to being able to rely on their car, day in, day out. Their level of satisfaction is clearly communicated in this extraordinary survey result, vindicating everything we do to deliver the highest quality in all our models.

“It is also significant that their opinions are in the great majority based on their experiences with our hybrid technology, confirming yet again the lasting quality and trustworthy performance of Lexus Hybrid Drive.”

Lexus also performed strongly in other Driver Power categories, notably posting a one-two-three for build quality with the NX and second and third generation RX models. In the “best car to own” results, which take in performance across all survey criteria, Lexus claimed four of the top 10 places with the IS (the top-rated car in 2015) in fourth, GS in fifth, third generation RX in sixth and second generation RX in 10th.

And if you want to know which car has the comfiest seats, the survey reveals that honour, too, goes to the third generation Lexus RX.