The new 2021 Lexus IS sports sedan was scheduled to make its debut today, but Lexus has made the decision to postpone the digital unveiling indefinitely. Lexus cites respect for "the recent global situation" as the reasoning for the postponement.

This week, Lexus released a simple statement on the digital debut of the 2021 IS. "Considering the recent global situation, Lexus has respectfully postponed the premier of the new IS, which was originally scheduled for 8:00 a.m. Japan Standard Time, June 10," it said. "Revised timing will be announced soon." With worldwide outpouring of civil protests in regards to the death of George Floyd, police brutality and the movement for police reform — all in the midst of a pandemic — it seems like a malapropos time to unveil a new car.

Autoblog reached out to Lexus for further clarification on when the car would debut, and the company said it hopes to have more news by the end of this week.

When it does debut, the next-generation sports sedan will utilize rear-wheel drive, and we expect all-wheel drive to be an option. According to a report from Motor Trend, the new IS will ride on an evolutionary modified version of its current "New N" platform, as opposed to an all-new setup, but that is unconfirmed. Like the current IS, the upcoming IS will likely offer both four-cylinder and six-cylinder powertrains options, though it is unclear what the power will look like. Stay tuned for more details in the near future.

The debut of the 2021 Lexus IS faces yet another delay and now has an unveiling on June 15, rather than the original plan to show off the new generation on June 9. The company offered no reason for pushing back the premiere an additional week.If it's any consolation, Lexus released a teaser showing more of the new IS. The video is just five seconds long, but our gallery below has screenshots showing some of the details.

This is the IS350 F Sport variant because the badge is visible on the fenders and rear. The sedan rides on wheels with a complicated design for the spokes, and Bridgestone Potenza tires wrap around them.
A view of the rear fenders reveals that there is brushed metal trim around the windows, and it comes to a sharp point at the C-pillar. The fuel filler door has a trapezoidal shape.

At the back, the taillights run the entire width of the rear, including a skinny strip for the center section. At the edges, the lamps have sharp points. On this F Sport version, there's a tiny spoiler along the edge of the trunk lid.

Lexus isn't revealing much technical info about the new IS yet. There's a rumor of a range-topping IS 500 packing a V8 engine as a replacement for the IS F. It's not currently clear whether the IS 350 would continue to use the existing 3.5-liter V6 with 311 hp (232 kW) or switch to a new powerplant.

If you want to watch the new IS debut, Lexus plans to livestream the unveiling on June 15. The premiere happens at 7:00 PM EDT (11:00 PM GMT). Lexus reportedly doesn't intend to sell the 2021 IS in Europe because the region prefers the company's crossovers, rather than its sedans.

It seems as if Lexus is giving its 5.0 liter naturally-aspirated engine a bit of a farewell tour. Being that naturally-aspirated V8s are on their way out, making way for smaller turbocharged engines and hybridization, the Japanese brand’s free-breathing V8 is set to die off soon. Thankfully, Lexus is giving it one last hurrah in the form of an M3 competitor — the upcoming Lexus IS F.

The Lexus IS F has been dead for some time now but it’s getting a revival for this current generation of IS, according to this new report. Being that this is an odd time for such a car to debut, it seems as if Lexus is only doing it to stuff that glorious V8 into something else one last time before it has to put the engine out to pasture. No one is going to complain, though, because that engine is indeed glorious.

Last I drove a Lexus with the 5.0 liter N/A V8 was when I tested the LC500. While the that car had its many flaws, its engine was absolutely not one of them. The V8 might be underpowered compared to its turbocharged German rivals but its razor-sharp throttle response, linear powerband and absolutely epic noise make it far more enjoyable to use than any engine to come from Germany, save for the Audi R8’s V10.

Currently, Lexus’ V8 makes 472 horsepower in the RC F, which isn’t really enough to compete with turbocharged engines of similar or more power. It should have similar power when it makes its way into the Lexus IS F and it’s going to be slower than the G80 BMW M3, Mercedes-AMG C63 and Audi RS4, simply due to it not having those cars’ turbocharged torque punches. However, the Lexus will make the best noise of the bunch and it’s not even close, thus making it more enjoyable to use.

BMW’s S58 engine is a good sounding engine, the same goes for the AMG’s twin-turbo V8 and the RS4’s twin-turbo V6, but the 5.0 liter, atmospheric V8 from the Lexus IS F is going to be something truly special. In the LC500, the engine sounds like a greatest hits album of mechanical noise, compiling the best noises from American muscle cars and Italian exotics. It’s glorious.

Like with most BMW/Lexus comparisons, the M3 is likely going to be the better car overall. But the Lexus IS F is going to have a special wow-factor about it that’s going to be hard to resist.

As an outlier in a shrinking segment, the 2021 Lexus IS faces an uphill battle. Product planners know this, so they've priced the new model below most of its main rivals without compromising on content or performance.

Unveiled in June 2020, the 2021 IS range consists of the entry-level 300 and the sportier 350 F-Sport, and each is offered with rear- or all-wheel drive. Pricing for the rear-wheel drive IS 300 starts at $40,025 including a mandatory $1,025 destination charge, which represents a mere $440 increase over the outgoing 2020 model. Adding all-wheel drive raises that figure to $42,025. Motorists who step up to the 350 F-Sport will need to pay $43,925 if they want power sent to the rear axle, or $45,925 if they want it channeled to the four wheels.

The list of standard features includes 18-inch wheels (an inch bigger than before), numerous electronic driving aids, power-adjustable front seats (10-way for the driver; eight-way for the front passenger), dual-zone automatic climate control, and an eight-inch touchscreen that's nearly five and a half inches closer to the driver than the outgoing model's. Motorists can pay extra for 19-inch wheels, a power-operated moonroof, and a 10.3-inch touchscreen. And, at last, the IS is available with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

Lexus shuffled its trim hierarchy for 2021, so the F Sport package is no longer available on the IS 300, but it's fitted to every IS 350 built for the American market. It bundles a cold-air intake, a specific exhaust system, a sound generator, 19-inch wheels, a sprinkling of F Sport badges, plus a body kit that adds bits like a rear spoiler and a diffuser integrated into the rear bumper. Heated and ventilated front seats are included, too.

Power for the rear-wheel drive IS 300 comes from a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which develops 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It's bolted to an eight-speed automatic transmission. While you'd assume the all-wheel drive model simply gains a pair of driven wheels, the transformation is more complex. It also receives a 3.5-liter V6 with 260 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque on tap, plus a six-speed automatic transmission. Lexus notes the system can send up to 50% of the engine's output to the front axles.

Selecting the IS 350 brings an evolution of the 3.5-liter six that's rated at 311 horses and 280 pound-feet of twist. It spins the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, or the four wheels with two fewer gears. In its quickest configuration, which is with six cylinders and two driven wheels, the IS hits 60 mph in 5.6 seconds.

When it arrives in showrooms this fall, the IS will compete in the same arena as the Audi A4 (which comes standard with all-wheel drive), the BMW 3 Series, and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. For context, these sedans start at $40,145, $42,245, and $42,395, respectively, after the destination charge is factored in.

What's next?

Lexus may still have a few IS-related surprises up its sleeve. Unverified rumors claim the IS range will gain a flagship, high-performance model aimed at the M3 and the C63. Tentatively called IS 500, it will reportedly offer the naturally-aspirated, 5.0-liter V8 we know and love from the IS F that retired in 2014 and from the RC F.