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Lexus gives Jay Leno a shot at driving its 2014 IS

After we drove a prototype of the 2014 Lexus IS, we were told that Lexus was shipping it back to Japan. As it turns out, late-night funnyman Jay Leno was already in the motherland with the coming sport sedan, and he lapped it around Fuji Motor Speedway with Chief Engineer Junichi Furuyama.
This was probably during his LFA drive two months ago, actually, when Furuyama-san was even more tight-lipped about the IS than he was a week ago, so Leno has to make the best guesses he can. Leno goes over the whole car, then takes it out for a casual spin, so at least you get to see it in action. As for Jay's take, you'll just have to watch the video below to find out.

Lexus applies to trademark UX 300h in U.S., Europe, and Australia

The Lexus UX is entering its fourth model year in 2023, having gone into production at the end of 2018 as a 2019 offering. The NX and RX have lately lasted seven years before a new generation drops, so the UX is due for a heavy refresh at the least. It's possible the refresh or the next-gen version will bring an upgraded model with more power. Lexus Enthusiast discovered that brand parent Toyota filed a trademark application for the term UX 300h in Europe, CarBuzz found the same application lodged at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and CarSales came across the form in triplicate filed with Australian intellectual property authorities. As always, a trademark application doesn't mean the described product will make it to market. However, there's very good reason for Lexus to take the UX to the next level. The automaker pared the lineup to a single model for 2023, now called the UX Hybrid. The powertrain carries over from its previous guise as the UX 250h, a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder helped by two electric motors and a 1.4-kWh battery, making 181 system horsepower and 149 pound-feet of torque. Despite general favor shown for the crossover's appointments and frugality, the repeated ding against it is feeble acceleration. The hybrid system in the NX 300h, based around a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, makes 203 hp and 184 lb-ft, the horsepower figure rising to 215 hp in the ES 300h and as much as 220 hp in the erstwhile IS 300h, so there's headroom if product planners are allowed to use it. Considering the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is slated to get 194 horsepower, the snazzier and luxury-branded UX would seem ripe for engine and power upgrades. With the updated NX and all-new RX on the market now, and the Corolla Cross Hybrid coming for next year, we won't be surprised if Lexus doesn't wait for the second-gen UX to bolster the spec sheet.   Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Next-gen Lexus IS design revealed to be swoopiest yet

We drove it while it was covered in cloth and vinyl not long ago, but before the 2014 Lexus IS350 F-Sport gets revealed at the Detroit Auto Show and we find out everything about it, Lexus has graced us with images. In addition to the spindle grille - with an elevated waistline on the F-Sport - the coming IS gets a jagged set of dual-beam headlights with L-shaped DRLs that are, for the first time on a Lexus, separate from the main units. Further back, the side sills get a twist and intense sculpting throughout the length of the longer wheelbase.
Inside is an LFA-inspired cockpit with thinner sport seats and more room in just about every area, the moving "driver's meter" in the dash cluster, electrostatic controls for cabin temperature control, 60/40 folding rear seats and "metal film 3-D-effect ornamentation."
The F-Sport package will be available on the IS250, IS350, IS300h equipped with Lexus Hybrid Drive. The hybrid will not come to the US.