HAVING the professionally inept and socially crippled failed TV star and radio presenter Alan Partridge singing your praises may be considered a dubious honour by many. But when Steve Coogan’s comic creation was extolling the virtues of the Lexus (or Lexi as he famously referred to them plurally) at the peak of his popularity it certainly did the brand no harm at all. They luxury car making arm of Japanese giants Toyota saw its profile raised considerably in the United Kingdom as a result of Partridge’s cringe-making capers. There is little inept or awkward though, about the IS, Lexus’ top selling sports saloon, which oozes the sort of style and class that Partridge so painfully failed to attain on many a memorable occasion. This 2.5-litre, V6 powered version, in particular, decked out with eyecatching F-Sport styling inside and out, is quite a thing of beauty. Taking many design cues from the high-performance IS-F model the look is low, lean and muscular with a prominent mesh grille, flared wheel arches, 18-inch alloys and boot spoiler all creating the desired effect. Looks wise for me it is the equal of the BMW 3 series and pips both the Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 among its chief European rivals. The interior, too, on this top-of-the-range model lives up to the marque’s luxury status. The leather upholstery is very plush, the sports front seats stylish and supportive and there are soft touch materials everywhere. Heated front seats, electric windows all around, front and rear armrests, cruise control, aircon and a 13-speaker audio system with dash mounted six-CD multichanger all add to the premium feel. The sporty theme, meanwhile, is continued in the cabin with the leather multi-function F-Sport steering wheel, an IS-F style gear lever and aluminium foot pedals. The optional touch screen satnav fitted in my test car will add an extra £2,400 to the price but was a joy to operate with its simple and intuitive user interface. Front seat passengers have plenty of room to get comfortable and the driver’s seat benefits from eight-way electrical adjustment. Head and leg room in the rear is more limited though, proving an issue for taller occupants. On the road that 205bhp, 2.5-litre, V6 power pack generates plenty of excitement. Coupled with the automatic six-speed gearbox it provides smooth acceleration and plenty of punch higher up the rev range for overtaking. The lowered sports chassis means the ride is quite firm, although rarely uncomfortable, and it does help to ensure the F-Sport stays glued to the road – meaning you can drive with confidence. There’s also an array of braking and stability control programmes to help keep you safe, as well as eight airbags – one each for the driver and front passengers’ knees on top of the usual six. With some keen pricing and Lexus’ enviable reliability record, the only downside is the fuel economy and emissions figures, which still lag a little behind those aforementioned German competitors. All in all though, the F-Sport is a car which proves a lot more adept at living up to it’s image than Coogan’s bungling buffoon Alan Partridge ever did! FAST FACTS Lexus IS 250 F-Sport Auto Price: £30,345 Mechanical: 205bhp, 2,500cc, 6cyl petrol engine driving rear wheels via 6-speed automatic gearbox Max speed: 140mph 0-62mph: 8.5 seconds Combined mpg: 33.6 Insurance group: 29 CO2 emissions: 194g/km BiK rating: 28% Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles | 
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