THOUGH it can be described as a new model in its own right, the IS300 is more accurately a premium entrant in the IS range which has arrived midway through the first generation. The most obvious new aspects are the GS300's 3.0-litre engine and five-speed automatic transmission, along with an abundance of new features (VDC, to name one) and options (satellite navigation, to name another). It picks up the general IS-series facelift, which on the outside includes a new radiator grille, chrome tailpipe and "smoked" tail-lights, while the interior gains curtain airbags for front occupants, an improved audio system, a redesigned centre console and a pollen filter linked with the climate control air-conditioning system. Under-skin improvements include greater structural protection for frontal collisions, a new exhaust system for both 2.0-litre and 3.0-litre models, increased body rigidity, revised suspension calibration and enhanced braking performance with electronic brake-force distribution and "brake assist".