The Lexus IS is evolving — but it’s still trying to find an identity

Bryan Logan/Business Insider2016 Lexus IS 200t

Now in its third generation, the Lexus IS is still kind of an outsider among its peers.

The first generation of this entry level luxury sedan was an important step forward for Lexus. Toyota’s luxury division finally had something sporty to offer buyers who tend to shop for the Mercedes C-Class, Audi A4, and BMW 3 Series.

The Bavarian Big Three have held a tight grip on the segment for the better part of two decades.

The proof is on the scoreboard. BMW sold nearly 95,000 new 3 Series cars in 2015 and Mercedes tallied more than 86,000 C-Class models. American challenger, Cadillac punched in with over 63,000 of its ATS cars sold.

Lexus booked about 46,300 of the Lexus IS in 2015. Only Audi did worse with just 29,013 A4s sold — mostly because the newly redesigned 2017 model was about to land stateside.

With the 2016 Lexus IS 200t, the company gives us a smartly engineered sedan with updated drivetrain options that make it a more serious competitor among its rivals, but the IS hasn’t quite found its own identity yet. It’s not quite sporty, and it’s not all that luxurious, either.

Lexus is expected to debut a refreshed IS at the Beijing Auto Show later this month, but we took the current 2016 IS 200t for a spin to see how it measures up.