New Car: 2009 Lexus IS

Recently when Honda unveiled a new Civic sporting a midcycle refresh, many of the car's styling tweaks were so subtle it was hard to even notice them. Then again given that the original '06 Civic was named Motor Trend's Car of the Year, there was no need to overhaul what was already a popular seller. Now a couple of weeks later it seems Lexus is also following the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" school of automotive design, releasing official images of their freshened 2009 IS sports sedan that to most eyes look indistinguishable from the '08 model.

A close examination of the new IS, however, reveals a host of small changes inside and out. A revised front end includes a new front bumper cover sporting a more sculpted lower air intake and fog lights, as well as a slightly flashier grille that gives the car a more expressive appearance overall. Side view mirrors now contain turn signal indicators, and the sedan features a revised taillight design including reverse lamps shaped like stylized 'L's. Lexus claims it sports a new rear bumper cover as well, which appears to include a more prominent character line across its center, and in addition to enjoying new 17- and 18-in. wheel designs, buyers will be able to take home an IS in one of two new colors -- Amber Pearl and Truffle Mica.

Inside, Lexus' 3-Series fighter boasts several additional blink-and-you'll-miss-it revisions as well. Beyond the adjustments that are just too trivial to mention (the DC outlet and AUX input switching positions in the console box, for example), 2009 IS drivers will enjoy a new instrument panel center cluster design, an illuminated temperature gauge and outside mirror controls, and several updated color and wood trim combinations like Ecru (with new golden brown trim) and Light Gray (with Dark Gray bird's eye maple). The interior door panels, console lid, and seats also feature contrasting stitching, and the carpets and seat back match the color of the upper instrument panel.

These little adjustments are all well and good, but given that the IS serves as Lexus' sports sedan, no update would be complete without at least a couple improvements to the car's driving experience. With this in mind the automaker has added a paddle shifting function in D mode, a new VDIM cutoff switch for the IS 250, optional 18-in. wheels on rear-wheel drive models, and revised the IS's suspension tuning and steering to improve stability and feel.

While cars like the 3 Series, Infiniti G37, and Cadillac CTS get most of the luxury sports sedan glory, the Lexus IS has always been a solid offering in the market (especially in wicked-fast IS F guise). Due to be unveiled at the Paris auto show, the 2009 model should be no different, as the automaker's changes have given the car a little extra dose of styling, comfort, and drivability -- just be sure to look close, they're pretty easy to miss.