Lexus rocked the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class thrones when it introduced the IS Series in 1998, and then, in 2000, it tried to do the same with their station wagon siblings.
Unlike its main rivals, Lexus named the five-door version “Sport Cross” since it was halfway between a hatchback and a station wagon. Still, it provided more trunk than its three-box sedan version, but it traded some space for the overall look.

From the outside, the IS Sport Cross featured the same front fascia as the four-door version. The big difference was on the sides and rear, where the carmaker extended the roof behind the C-pillars and placed an additional side window. At the back, the IS 200 Sport Cross featured a tailgate enhanced by a roof spoiler mounted on the upper side of the windscreen.

Inside, the Sport Cross featured the same chronograph-style instrument panel as its four-door sibling. The speedometer in the middle shared the same dial with the gauges for the ammeter, coolant temperature, and a fuel-efficiency indicator. In the back, the carmaker installed a 60/40 split-folding rear bench. The trunk provided 340 liters (12 cu-ft) of space with all the seats in place and up to 620 liters (21.9 cu-ft) with the bench’ seatback folded. To allow longer items, such as skis or snowboards, the carmaker installed a flat-folding front passenger seat, extending the loading length.

Under the hood, Lexus provided the Sport Cross exclusively with a 3.0-liter engine. Lexus offered the vehicle a rear-wheel-drive or an all-wheel-drive system. The former version was available with a five-speed automatic, while the latter came fitted with a four-speed.