AS the smallest model in the Lexus range - and therefore the lowest priced - the IS200 rapidly established itself as the marque's best selling car in Europe.
So when it came to building its replacement, the Japanese car maker knew it had to come up with something special.
And, hardly surprisingly, it has risen to the challenge with a new "small" car which has all the characteristics and emotions of its much larger, far more expensive stablemates.
Physically the new IS250 is larger than the IS200, being both longer and wider as well as having a wider track.
But even though the increase is not too dramatic - 175mm longer and 75mm wider - the new car really does look much larger and nearer the dimensions of the bigger Lexus models.
You can see some of the IS200 lines in the new design but there is no doubting this latest vehicle is far more streamlined and definitely has a stronger presence on the road.
Open the door and it's immediately obvious that the interior too has moved onto a different plain.
Gone are the chronometer-style dials which were an IS200 trademark. They're replaced by more conventional, independent clocks giving the dash a more refined appearance.
The dashboard itself is two-tone. In my test car, an IS250 SE automatic, that meant a black upper section and ivory coloured lower section. Step up to the SE-L model and you get birds-eye maple wood trim detailing.
My SE model had electrically adjustable leather front seats - a standard feature on the model - which are decidedly chunky - almost armchair-ish - but which look superb and are impressively comfortable.
The seats come with heating and ventilation switches to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
The Lexus has keyless ignition, which also means keyless locking and unlocking of the car.
As long as the car's key fob is in your pocket - or handbag - all you have to do to open a locked car is put your hand on the door handle and the locks open automatically. To lock it again you just touch a small sensor on the door handle.
To start the car just press the start/stop button, as long as you still have the key fob with you.
Refinement sums up this car's main characteristic on the road. The big Lexus models have some of the quietest cabins of any car and this is also true of the IS250. Few cars in the £22,000 category - the starting price of the range - can claim to be as cocooning as this one.
My car was equipped with a six speed automatic box - as opposed to the six speed manual - which adds an extra £1,000 to the price.
This gearbox can be used in normal "Drive" or you can switch to "Sport" for more spirited acceleration. There is also a tiptronic mode for when you want to drive the car as a clutchless manual vehicle.
Additionally this latest Lexus also has F1 racing style paddles behind the wheel for even quicker manual gear changes, so you really are spoiled for choice.
The 0-62mph acceleration of the V6 204bhp automatic model at 8.4 seconds is brisk without being dynamic but even under hard acceleration this car retains its distinct sound of silence.
And while this is no sports car, the handling - like the IS200 before it - is superb.
There is just the right amount of feedback from the speed sensitive electric power steering and both you and the car always feel in command of the situation no matter how hard you are cornering.
There is also a remarkably small turning circle, making parking much easier than you would expect for a car of this size. The IS250 has a large, steeply raked windscreen and despite the wide pillars all round vision is good. Parking sensors, however, are available at an extra cost.
Safety is a big concern of Lexus and the car has no fewer than eight airbags including driver and front passenger knee airbags - the first in its class to get them.
When it comes to practicalities the IS250 also scores highly with a generous-sized boot and a removable folding floor section giving access to a large well, useful to prevent items sliding around.
Certainly Lexus, the up-market arm of Toyota, has produced a worthy successor to its best seller.
It boasts all the practical features you need in a car and has sports car handling combined with limousine-like luxury. What more could one ask?
FAST FACTS
Lexus IS 250 SE automatic
Price: £26,400
Mechanical: 204bhp, 2,499cc, 6cyl petrol engine driving rear wheels via 6spd automatic gearbox
Max speed: 141mph
0-62mph: 8.4 secs
Combined mpg: 31
Insurance group: 14
CO2 emissions: 214g/km
BiK rating: 29%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 3yrs paint; 12yrs anti-rust