Lexus IS 250C : THIS IS IT

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Lexus goes up against the leading premium convertible with its IS 250C. Steve Walker reports.

The sleek Lexus IS saloon makes the transition to folding hard-topped convertible look easy. The roof takes just 20 seconds to do its thing and both safety provision and equipment levels look generous.

Folding hard top roofs are a great idea. When it's raining, you have a rigid metal shield for the elements to pitter-patter off and when your car is parked up overnight, there's a sturdy barrier to thwart Stanley knife wielding hoodies. Then the sun shines and the whole thing retreats into the boot at the press of a button, dramatically installing the heavens overhead and blasting fresh air through your follicles. One day, all cars will be roofed in this way - just as soon as the small matters of diminished boot capacity, gawky styling, lost chassis rigidity, weight and cost have been successfully ironed out. That day is not yet here but with Lexus entering the folding hard-top market in earnest with its IS 250C, who'd bet against it being brought forward? Lexus has had a folding hard topped car on sale in the UK since 2001 but you'll be forgiven for not knowing much about it. The SC 430 coupe proved extremely effective at slipping under the radar of most buyers and sales were correspondingly modest in the UK where the car's combination of thirsty V8 engine and relaxed driving manners were never going to play as well as they did in the SC's primary market across the pond. The IS 250C immediately looks far more apt to succeed. Based on the popular IS saloon which Lexus has set-up as a credible rival to the German compact executive choices, the C aims to move the folding hard-top game on while maintaining the brand's traditional focus on quality, comfort and refinement. The engine in the IS 250C is the same as that in the IS 250 saloon, a smooth 2.5-litre V6. Producing 204bhp, it isn't too highly strung and delivers good levels of refinement. Lexus was keen for the IS 250 C to replicate the impressive ride quality and composure on which Lexus has built its house down the years and to achieve this in a car with a stowable roof, the engineers had their work cut out. The IS 250C uses the same double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension layout as the IS but tweaks to the chassis of the convertible promote a smoother ride while working to combat the loss or rigidity that tends to follow the removal of a car's fixed roof. An exhaustive series of tests was also then undertaken to make certain that vibrations were well contained and wind noise kept to a minimum.

"The roof folds into three and can lower in a mere 20 secondsâ€¦."

A few cars invite their owners to leave removable roofs at home in the garage but the changeable UK climate is such that this remains a brave course of action. In a game of Russian roulette with the British summertime, there's only ever going to be one winner but the safe option of taking your roof with you presents its own problems, especially if it's made out of metal and powered by hefty electric motors. The major niggle is styling and Lexus appears to have done a reasonably job of addressing it. The car's rear overhang is 50mm longer than the saloon's to accommodate the folded roof but unlike some of its rivals, the IS 250C doesn't appear overly chubby around the hindquarters. Indeed, the slick looks that make the IS one of the most handsome compact executive saloons on sale are carried over reasonably successfully and also help the C achieve a low drag coefficient of 0.29 Cd. The roof itself folds into three and can lower in a mere 20 seconds. Its compact design, together with the elongated rear, means there's still a usable amount of boot space - enough, claims Lexus, for a golf bag to be squeezed in alongside the folded roof. With the hard top stowed, the IS 250C's elegant profile is punctuated only by the roll-over hoops behind the rear headrests. None of the roof mechanism elements remain in view or project above the car's waistline, reinforcing the sweep of the beltline; the entire roof system is concealed beneath the boot surface and the flush-fitting rear parcel shelf. Lexus interiors tend to be slick affairs and the basic design of the IS cabin has been altered so it functions more effectively in a convertible car. The instruments have been revised so they can be more easily seen when the roof is down and the sun is out, while access to the rear seats has been simplified in this two-door car by elongated door openings. There's also a mechanism that folds and slides the front seat at the touch of a button so passengers can get into the back without too much clambering. The Lexus IS has long looked as though a little diversification might do it good. With a limited engine range and a single bodystyle, this highly adept car was always going to be at a disadvantage when battling the sprawling model line-ups of Audi's A4, BMW's 3 Series and the Mercedes C-Class. From this perspective alone, the IS 250C is a step in the right direction giving compact executive convertible buyers another viable non-German option. The IS 250C deal is further sweetened by a detailed specification for the car which includes a climate control system that adapts automatically to optimise its performance when the roof is lowered and speed is increased. There's also a premium Mark Levinson stereo that pulls a similar trick, upping the bass when the roof goes down. This isn't designed to rattle the neighbourhood's windows but to compensate for the escaping sound. Safety equipment includes VDIM Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Control and VSC stability control but there are also redesigned airbags that give better protection than standard items when the roof is lowered. Running costs aren't quite as crucial to the IS 250C buying decision as they will be to that of its saloon counterpart. If they were, then you'd be able to order this car with a diesel engine. Expect figures similar to that of the existing four-door, which means a 30mpg return on the combined cycle and emissions of around 219g/km - high given the engine's 204bhp power output. The 215bhp BMW 325i Convertible can deliver 40mpg and 170g/km of CO2. As an ownership proposition, the IS redeems itself with strong residual values helped by its relative exclusivity compared to fleet-favourites like the 3-Series and A4. Both the car and its manufacturer tend to perform excellently in customer satisfaction surveys so if you like to visit your dealership as rarely as possible and be looked after like royalty on the occasions that you do, compact executive cars don't get better than this. Open topped motoring has never come with fewer drawbacks than it does today and if your last experience of a convertible car left you pledging to give the squeaky, leaky, impractical things a wide berth for ever more, a car like the Lexus IS 250C could well change your mind. With its slick folding metal roof and intelligent attempts to address the age-old issues with roofless cars, it could be enough to persuade those who have never really got the whole wind in the hair thing. Like other folding twin-top models, the IS 250C is not without its compromises but as these get smaller, the market for this type of car can only grow. The Lexus IS 250C is a newcomer to a market with some well established players that could use a bit of a shake-up. The Saab 9-3, BMW 3-Series Convertible and Mercedes CLK Cabriolet are all well known names but the Lexus looks to be thoroughly well developed and in a strong position to make headway.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Lexus IS 250C
PRICES: £30,000 - on the road [est]
INSURANCE GROUPS: 14 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: 219g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9.0s / Max Speed 130mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [IS250] (urban) 21.6mpg / (extra urban) 35.8mpg / (combined) 30.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags / ABS / VDIM / VSC
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4635/1800/1415