This sketch is a taster of the premium hatchback Lexus will unveil at the
Frankfurt Motor Show, at precisely 3.45pm on September 15th.
And now you know everything we do in terms of hard facts, although Lexus promises it will 'demonstrate a mix of technical innovation and ground-breaking design that promises to raise the bar in the premium compact segment.' It would say that though, wouldn't it?
Cut through the cartoonish excess of the sketch and it appears as though the newcomer will share much of its design with the
IS saloon, particularly at the front end, which means we can probably expect some degree of powertrain and interior crossover between the as-yet-unnamed hatch and the IS too. Power from the four-cylinder diesel found in the IS 220d is almost a certainty, probably de-tuned from its 175bhp output in the saloon, though it wouldn't surprise us to find more powerful petrol and diesels under the hood at some stage - and perhaps even a mega 'F' version, which might finally prompt Bavaria to respond in kind with an M1 hatch.
We're getting carried away now, so we'll leave you to think about it until September 15th.
Mark Nichol - 17 Aug 2009