By Ryan Erik King
Copyright jalopnik
It’s no secret that the sports sedan is an endangered species, and many feared that the Lexus IS would be the next model to go extinct as its current generation is now 11 years old. However, Lexus unveiled the third facelift for the IS sedan on Tuesday. While the IS 500 has been discontinued, the 2026 Lexus IS 350 features an aggressive new front-end and a restyled interior.
The new front-end on the IS 350 features headlights styled similarly to other new Lexus vehicles and a massive grille reminiscent of those on models from Toyota, its sister brand. The F Sport trim will come with a new rear spoiler. The sedan is also fitted with the same 3.5-liter V6 engine as the 2025 model, which produces 311 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of peak torque. While the powerplant under the hood will remain the same, the sedan should offer a different driving experience behind the wheel. Lexus claims it optimized the power steering and suspension systems “to deepen the sense of steering satisfaction and intuitive vehicle response.” The aim was to provide a consistent steering feel in various road conditions.
