insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 08 - October 2015 | Page 89

Impressive from the onset, the IS 300h looks
sleek, sporty and stylish. To the uninitiated, the
word 'hybrid' may conjure up feelings of a milkfloaty pace and strange electrical noises; this is
absolutely not true with the IS 300h. A car that
was famously designed to go tyre-to-tyre with
the BMW 3 Series, this is a proper red-blooded
sports saloon, and don't you forget it!

The well thought out driving position gives you
an excellent view of the road without the A-pillars
getting in your way, and refreshingly the cockpit
feels as though it was positioned with the driver
in mind, as opposed to being split between the
driver and front passenger. Long journeys start
to sound appealing when you know you can wile
away the hours in comfort.

Looks-wise this really is a beautiful car to behold:
sculpted long flowing curves, a dynamic looking
grille and that assertive 'tick' on the front give
the Lexus a feeling of confidence and certainty.
Resting on elegant alloy wheels, and sporting
the familiar modest, but stylish blue 'L' badge
on the front and back, the IS 300h really is a
good looking motor vehicle.

Entertainment is not sparse in the IS 300h either.
Once you're bored marvelling at the LCD touch
screen display that advises you on the car's
energy levels, there is a very impressive sound
system, complete with the now prerequisite
Bluetooth and iPhone options.

To say the interior of the Lexus is just as impressive
would be a massive understatement. As you
slide elegantly into the protective surrounds of
the sumptuous leather heated seats, you are
instantly reminded of the Batmobile. Not so much
a mere interior as a high-tech cockpit for a driving
machine.

With plenty of room in the front and rear, along
with a decent sized boot perfect for golf clubs
or large suitcases, there is no doubt that this is
a car that will fit in nicely with all lifestyles.
Safety-wise the Lexus comes with ABS, traction
control and no less than eight airbags, all
guaranteed to deploy if you hit a bollard.
Mechanically, the IS 300h is everything we've
come to expect from Lexus: engineering precision,

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power where needed, but with efficiency also,
and of course the hybrid tech builds on this core
requisite. Lexus have moved away from diesel
engines, as favoured by peers Audi and BMW,
and have gone hybrid.
Incidentally, in case you've missed this new
technology, it's not actually all that new.
Submarines have employed it since World War
II, using diesel engines when surfaced and electric
motors when underwater. And there have also
been bicycles using a hybrid combination of
electricity and leg-power since the 1970s. What's
more, since the scary news that we are heading
towards a time when fossil fuels will be depleted,
there has been huge developments and a real
focus on hybrid technology in cars.
With a 2.5-litre engine, plus hybrid drive (electric
motor as we used to call them...) delivering a
total of 178 BHP, the IS 300h has plenty of bottle
despite any apprehensions the word 'hybrid' may
give to techno-sceptics out there. As you wind
her up along a straight road, going from electric
to petrol engine as you do so, acceleration from
0-62 MPH occurs in a not-too-shabby 8.4