The Lexus IS is a series of compact luxury cars built starting in 1999. Originally sold as the Toyota Altezza in Japan, the rebranded Lexus IS was introduced in Europe in 1999, and North America for the 2001 model year. The Lexus IS has seen three generations: XE10 (1999-2005), XE20 (2006-2015), and XE30 (2014-2021).