The good-things-come-in-small-packages adage holds absolutely true when we talk about Lexus.
Toyota’s luxury arm may live off the healthy sales generated from the mid-sized ES350 and the LX570 SUV, and has earned its well-deserved reputation for quality luxury saloons from the flagship LS model.
But the standout of the Lexus fleet, for me, has always been the baby IS range. The latest IS 350 F Sport only cements my long-held belief.
Why? Because it is the most driver-focused model and has always been that way since the first IS 200 that was developed to take on the then-mighty BMW 3 Series as the pinnacle of front-engined, rear-wheel-drive, compact luxury cars.
I would argue that is still the case with the F Sport, which hasn't lost its vision or place in the market. It still has a taut chassis you can throw around with joy, rear-wheel drive that frees up the front axle to just focus on steering – and therefore is lighter and more direct than its all-wheel drive counterparts.
It has also kept its front and rear overhangs to a minimum, maintaining its wheel-at-each-corner stance.
This 2021 model began life in 2014 and has welcomed a few makeovers inside and out along the way, so in some areas it is feeling its age compared to the latest C-Class Mercedes and Audi A4, particularly on the inside.
Lexus is working on a brand-new IS that will be hotter than this current model, but in the meantime it is staying relevant in the segment by bringing valuable updates for the second half of this year.
Competent performance
Powered by a 311bhp, 3.5-litre V6 that develops 380Nm of torque, the F Sport doesn't give you any more under the hood over the regular IS350, but it does tighten things up underneath, gives you a few more goodies inside and includes a rear spoiler and 19-inch forged alloy wheels.
It is backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission that drives through the rear wheels. Although some of its competitors boast more power, be reminded that it achieves this without turbos, supercharging or hybridisation, which is perhaps another indicator of its age in a class now dominated by turbo and/or hybrid options.
The F Sport gets from 0 to 100 kilometres an hour in a claimed 5.7 seconds, but this is a case where numbers don’t tell the full story because it is a more rewarding drive than most that run with the above-mentioned engine configurations.
Fun ride
Point me towards the hills and winding roads of Hatta or Al Ain, and this is where the Lexus's engineering comes to the fore. The IS has not lost its delightfully responsive chassis, letting you throw it into corners with confidence, keep the power planted without losing traction and not fight the dreaded all-wheel drive understeer that affects its competitors.
In its most dynamic Sport S+ mode, the IS350’s steering feel is superb, delivering a near-analogue, almost-perfect feedback of what is happening at the wheels through my fingers. It also holds the gears longer, keeping a sustained powerband through switchback corners and downshifts quickly when it senses inputs through the accelerator.
Its ECU brain very quickly adapts to my driving style as I transition from casual motorway cruising for maximum economy and comfort to an enthusiastic mountain blast.
The IS F Sport manages to blend this out-of-character sportiness with the comfort and luxury that is synonymous with the brand, which may surprise you if you approach the IS with preconceptions on how you believe a Lexus should perform.
Cabin comforts
Although I wasn't a fan of the colour choices on our test car, mixing a vibrant red leather interior with a metallic blue exterior, it didn't take away from the overall ride and comfort thanks to the eight-way power adjustable seats with vented cooling for these hot days. The centre console features a new trackpad and 10.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
The haptic trackpad is perhaps oversensitive and needs some self-training to hit the commands without taking your eyes off the road. I found I was constantly overshooting the function I was looking for, which distracted me from driving, so I tended to wait until I could pull over to change the music, find an address or alter the climate setting.
It's a gripe of all modern-day cars, where cheaper touchscreens have replaced hard-touch buttons you used to find intuitively without taking your eyes off the road, whereas navigating a multifunction screen is arguably a less-safe alternative.
There is wireless charging for phones that connect to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which are easy to use, showing the full screen instead of just favourites as on some cars, and it also has a new 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system.
The 2021 update to the IS 350 is welcome progress to what was already a delightful driver's car, especially this F Sport version. Although it may lack some of the cutting-edge features found in the newest generation of executive compact saloon, it delivers a premium driving experience.
The specs
Engine: 3.5 V6
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Power: 311bhp
Torque: 380Nm
Price: Dh245,000
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Pakhtoons 137-6 (10 ov)
Fletcher 68 not out; Cutting 2-14
Sindhis 129-8 (10 ov)
Perera 47; Sohail 2-18
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
All Blacks line-up for third Test
J Barrett; I Dagg, A Lienert-Brown, N Laumape, J Savea; B Barrett, A Smith; J Moody, C Taylor, O Franks, B Retallick, S Whitelock, J Kaino, S Cane, K Read (capt).
Replacements: N Harris, W Crockett, C Faumuina, S Barrett, A Savea, TJ Perenara, A Cruden, M Fekitoa.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company%20Profile
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
One in four Americans don't plan to retire
Nearly a quarter of Americans say they never plan to retire, according to a poll that suggests a disconnection between individuals' retirement plans and the realities of ageing in the workforce.
Experts say illness, injury, layoffs and caregiving responsibilities often force older workers to leave their jobs sooner than they'd like.
According to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, 23 per cent of workers, including nearly two in 10 of those over 50, don't expect to stop working. Roughly another quarter of Americans say they will continue working beyond their 65th birthday.
According to government data, about one in five people 65 and older was working or actively looking for a job in June. The study surveyed 1,423 adults in February this year.
For many, money has a lot to do with the decision to keep working.
"The average retirement age that we see in the data has gone up a little bit, but it hasn't gone up that much," says Anqi Chen, assistant director of savings research at the Centre for Retirement Research at Boston College. "So people have to live in retirement much longer, and they may not have enough assets to support themselves in retirement."
When asked how financially comfortable they feel about retirement, 14 per cent of Americans under the age of 50 and 29 per cent over 50 say they feel extremely or very prepared, according to the poll. About another four in 10 older adults say they do feel somewhat prepared, while just about one-third feel unprepared.
"One of the things about thinking about never retiring is that you didn't save a whole lot of money," says Ronni Bennett, 78, who was pushed out of her job as a New York City-based website editor at 63.
She searched for work in the immediate aftermath of her layoff, a process she describes as akin to "banging my head against a wall." Finding Manhattan too expensive without a steady stream of income, she eventually moved to Portland, Maine. A few years later, she moved again, to Lake Oswego, Oregon. "Sometimes I fantasise that if I win the lottery, I'd go back to New York," says Ms Bennett.
Results:
2.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: AZ Dhabyan, Adam McLean (jockey), Saleha Al Ghurair (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
3.15pm: Conditions (PA) Dh60,000 2,000m.
Winner: Hareer Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
3.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,700m.
Winner: Kenz Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh 200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
4.45pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m.
Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Team: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Ben Te'o, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Chris Robshaw, 8 Sam Simmonds
Replacements 16 Jamie George, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Harry Williams, 19 George Kruis, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Danny Care, 22 Jonathan Joseph, 23 Jack Nowell
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Brief scoreline:
Wolves 3
Neves 28', Doherty 37', Jota 45' 2
Arsenal 1
Papastathopoulos 80'
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
Leaderboard
15 under: Paul Casey (ENG)
-14: Robert MacIntyre (SCO)
-13 Brandon Stone (SA)
-10 Laurie Canter (ENG) , Sergio Garcia (ESP)
-9 Kalle Samooja (FIN)
-8 Thomas Detry (BEL), Justin Harding (SA), Justin Rose (ENG)
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
US households add $601bn of debt in 2019
American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.
Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.
In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.
The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.
"Younger borrowers, who are disproportionately likely to have credit cards and student loans as their primary form of debt, struggle more than others with on-time repayment," New York Fed researchers said.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
