The passage of time does strange things to our perception of cars. On occasion, I'll jump behind the wheel of a model I'd raved over a couple of years back, drive it for a week and then wonder what on earth I'd been so enthusiastic about. The flipside of this is a car that at first seems merely adequate but with subsequent reacquaintance appears better than ever. Such a car was Lexus' first generation IS series. Now, with the latest generation version, the onus is on the little Lexus to go one step further and impress right from the word go.

The significance of this model cannot be overstressed. The IS was the car that transformed the Lexus franchise from a low volume luxury operation to the kind of dealership you'd put on your shortlist alongside Saab, Jaguar, Volvo and the premium German marques of BMW, Mercedes and Audi. If only the model range had been a little wider, Lexus could have been competing on genuinely level terms. After all, it was difficult to pitch it as a credible rival to the BMW 3 Series when there was, for the first two years of its life, only one engine - a rather humble 2.0-litre petrol - and one body style. A more powerful 3.0-litre unit was subsequently introduced as well as a SportCross lifestyle estate version, but without a diesel variant or a flagship sports model, the IS series of cars was rather hobbled. They remain great to drive and a thoroughly satisfying ownership experience, but public perception that the original IS was a rather underpowered wannabe 3 series was tricky to overcome.

The current model, priced from £24,077, has rectified some of those shortcomings. The big news of course is the presence of a diesel engine in the line-up. That and the fact that this IS has to be one of the most photogenic cars ever seen in the compact executive class.

"The IS contrives to make the opposition look somewhat clumsy"

Much of this is attributed to what Lexus calls its L-Finesse design philosophy. Car designers have justly developed a reputation for taking themselves rather seriously and it's not hard to see why when L-Finesse is described as being composed of three fundamental elements, Incisive Simplicity, Intriguing Elegance and Seamless Anticipation. Translated from PR speak, L-Finesse is a way of clothing the car in sheet metal that looks as if it has been shrink wrapped onto the car's frame. The end result is a very taut, muscular looking car with origami-sharp swage lines and very painstakingly finished detailing. Bigger than its predecessor by 90mm in length and 75mm in width, the latest IS looks sportier and unapologetically Japanese. Try imagining this car wearing an Audi or Saab badge. It's quite impossible.

One of the key design elements of the old IS - the chronograph style instruments - has been been dropped in favour of a more conventional fascia. This means that although the quality and ergonomic excellence of the Iatest IS interior is virtually beyond reproach, there's now no longer a signature styling point to really catch the eye. The side air vents at first seem a little oddly positioned, but Lexus attribute this to the principle of 'Hazushi' - to 'shift out of phase'. This expresses the notion of something that is part of the whole but, at the same time, retaining its independence. A strong and independent air vent must be a happy air vent.

One complaint levelled at the old IS was the rather tight rear quarters and the addition of another 60mm to the new car's wheelbase has done much to solve this problem. Consult the specification sheet and it becomes apparent that in one fell swoop, the IS has gone from being one of the meanest in terms of rear knee room to the top of the class. One area that was rarely questioned was equipment provision and the latest car nails home its advantage yet further. You could be listening to CDs on four speakers in your BMW, or six if you're feeling a little flush when it comes to ticking the options boxes. The IS features 13 speakers as standard and a six CD autochanger that will handle MP3 and WMA files. How's that for a crushing advantage?

Two engines are offered, Lexus learning their lesson from the original IS launch. The petrol engine is a beefy 2.5-litre V6 which combines a stoichiometric direct injection system with dual VVT-i valve timing. This means that torque and power are spread widely across the rev range. You'll get 202bhp out of this engine and a torque figure of 184lb/ft at 3,800rpm. Mated to either a six-speed manual box or a six-speed auto that features paddle shift control, this engine is more powerful than direct equivalents from any of its rivals.

Even more impressive is the 2.2-litre common rail diesel engine. Some carped that the IS needed a six cylinder diesel but with 175bhp on tap, the dissenters should pipe down. No less than 295lb/ft of torque is served up from as little as 2,000rpm, making this engine more muscular than the V8 unit which powers a Ferrari 360 Modena. It also features the only catalyst in the world that simultaneously reduces nitrous oxide and particulate matter simultaneously, making this one of the cleanest diesels ever produced.

This may not be the first compact executive car you think of, but it's the one in the real world that we think most people would end up rather owning. If only they would try one..

TOP 5 IS DEALS

The results below show the top IS deals on buyacar

	Lexus IS 220d 4dr Saloon
	ETR	Mthly £330	Saving £4,673	Price £18,514
	Lexus IS 220d SE 4dr [Sunroof] Saloon
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £5,087	Price £21,550
	Lexus IS 220d SE 4dr Saloon
	ETR	Mthly £378	Saving £4,991	Price £20,846
	Lexus IS 250 SE-L 4dr Auto [Multimedia] Saloon
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £5,655	Price £26,737
	Lexus IS 220d SE-L 4dr [Sunroof/Multimedia] Saloon
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £5,664	Price £25,783

typical 11.67% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000