Lexus released the first official images of the new generation IS sedan ahead of its debut at the 2013 Detroit Motor Show. Inspired by Lexus’s LF-CC concept car, the new mid-size family car is revealed here in F sport guise, which is why you can’t be mad at it for looking a bit controversial.

The front-end with its massive spindle grille and pointy headlights, not to mention the weird bumper, looks like what an alien would drive on its home planet. It is not particularly pretty, but it’s daring. And we’d rather have something weird but thrilling than a bland and boring design.

The front also features Lexus’s signature L-shaped daytime running lights presented independently. The rear-end has a fine design, very cool and elegant, while the sides remain pretty much intact over the old model. The new IS is physically bigger though, as you can clearly notice looking at its profile.

Longer length means extended wheelbase, which in combination with a thinner front seat design delivers best-in-class knee-room and access in the rear. The new rear seats also have a 60:40 split-folding function.

The cabin is a blend of old and new, with HMI technology and electrostatic switches that need just a finger touch to adjust the air conditioning temperature, as well as an analog clock.