InfinitiAt a time when selling motor cars can’t really be considered a risk-free enterprise, it’s good to be able to report that a new name is about to make its presence felt on UK roads. To be exact, although it’s a new name it’s not a completely new company, for just as Lexus is Toyota’s upmarket arm in various parts of the world, so now is Infiniti the luxury end of the Nissan empire.The range consists of saloon, coupe, convertible, SUV and what they call a coupe crossover. In fact if you examine the Infiniti website – a good plan if you want to find out more, because showrooms are thin on the ground – you’ll find what appears to be a range to rival the mainstream manufacturers, let alone the smaller luxury brands. Infiniti and beyond may not be such a far-fetched notion.What virtually all the models have in common is a name containing the digits 3 and 7. That’s not too hard to get to grips with, because engine choice is rather smaller than the model range; indeed the 3.7-litre V6 power plant is under the bonnet of virtually all the cars. The exception for the time being is the FX50, and you don’t need me to tell you the engine size of that one.The range starts with the G cars, which come in saloon, coupe and convertible bodies, and it runs on to the EX ‘coupe crossover’ and FX SUV types. In terms of size the G cars are just three inches or so shorter than a Mondeo, and we started out from the Reading headquarters with a G37S saloon, the suffix of which shows we had all the technical wizardry that Infiniti have thought up so far. Standard on this model are 4-wheel active steering, limited slip diff, sports suspension, and lots more including a 14-way power driver’s seat. With power fed through the rear wheels, the car handles well, and driver-friendly features such as steering requiring minimal wheel movements to point the car exactly where you want it to go will be appreciated by keen drivers. The sub-6s 0-60 time won’t come as a surprise when you consider the power output of 320PS, and indeed the only complaint we had was of a higher than expected amount of road noise.The Infiniti marketeers make the point, and it’s a good one, that the huge success of models from the German ‘establishment’ is the biggest chink in their otherwise impenetrable armour. Their resulting ubiquity, as they put it, no longer appeals to buyers seeking individuality. But aside from the rarity of Infiniti cars on our roads, there are other elements which will appeal to those wanting an ownership experience out of the ordinary. The man or woman who deals with you when you put down the money for your car will be your Personal Consultant, looking after things like servicing and repairs thereafter. They’ve thought through the user-chooser process pretty convincingly too. Not only is there a good choice of interior finishes and colours, but rather than having to select such an important aspect from a teeny block of colour in a brochure (Dulux colour chart syndrome), they’ll produce mega bits of leather in all the available colours, with which you can adorn an interior to get the full living experience. And before you buy an Infiniti, the website will offer a ‘car building’ process that is second to none; if you think that sounds like marketing speak, it does indeed, but give it a try and you’ll see what I mean.The Infiniti cars do of course benefit from all Nissan’s experience; the basic platform of the G cars is from the 250Z for instance, but the dealerships will be distinct, and infrequent. Expect to see 13 of them “in a few years” we were told. For now you must hop over to Reading in Berkshire, but 2010 will see centres opening in London, Birmingham and Glasgow.Our other drive of the day was in the EX37, which Infiniti style a “coupe crossover ……. progressive coupe design with the performance of an SUV and the home comforts of a saloon”. We liked its styling (other than the reddish brown interior of our car which you wouldn’t want to approach with a queasy stomach). Ours was a GT version, and it did feel firm and bouncy, though to be fair we hadn’t loaded it with the sacks of cement it would be very happy to accommodate. EX prices start at £35,200, and like the G cars the full details of the range are on the Infiniti website.The UK is actually one of the last areas to get the Infiniti brand (it’s been in America for years), but it’s good to see something new in our motoring world, and there’s plenty more to come in 2010, including diesel engines and more hi-techery such as the Blind Spot Intervention system which helps to stop you ploughing into the geezer trying to overtake you.Infiniti G37Size: 4.78m x 2.00m (inc mirrors)Engine: 3.7 V6 Petrol: 320PSGearbox: 6-speed manual or 7-speed auto, RWD or 4WDConsumption: 26.7mpg (manual)Price at Dec ’09: £30,300 to £41,900Full details of the Infiniti range available on the manufacturer’s website: www.infiniti.co.ukPeter Cracknell - December 2009
Infiniti
At a time when selling motor cars can’t really be
considered a risk-free enterprise, it’s good to be able
to report that a new name is about to make its
presence felt on UK roads. To be exact, although it’s a
new name it’s not a completely new company, for just
as Lexus is Toyota’s upmarket arm in various parts of
the world, so now is Infiniti the luxury end of the
Nissan empire.
The range consists of saloon, coupe, convertible, SUV
and what they call a coupe crossover. In fact if you
examine the Infiniti website – a good plan if you want
to find out more, because showrooms are thin on the
ground – you’ll find what appears to be a range to rival
the mainstream
manufacturers, let alone
the smaller luxury
brands. Infiniti and
beyond may not be such
a far-fetched notion.
What virtually all the
models have in common
is a name containing the
digits 3 and 7. That’s not
too hard to get to grips
with, because engine
choice is rather smaller
than the model range;
indeed the 3.7-litre V6
power plant is under the
bonnet of virtually all the
cars. The exception for
the time being is the
FX50, and you don’t need me to tell you the engine
size of that one.
The range starts with the G cars, which come in
saloon, coupe and convertible bodies, and it runs on
to the EX ‘coupe crossover’ and FX SUV types. In
terms of size the G cars are just three inches or so
shorter than a Mondeo, and we started out from the
Reading headquarters with a G37S saloon, the suffix
of which shows we had all the technical wizardry that
Infiniti have thought up so far. Standard on this model
are 4-wheel active steering, limited slip diff, sports
suspension, and lots more including a 14-way power
driver’s seat. With power fed through the rear wheels,
the car handles well, and driver-friendly features such
as steering requiring minimal wheel movements to
point the car exactly where you want it to go will be
appreciated by keen drivers. The sub-6s 0-60 time
won’t come as a surprise when you consider the
power output of 320PS, and indeed the only complaint
we had was of a higher than expected amount of road
noise.
The Infiniti marketeers make the point, and it’s a good
one, that the huge success of models from the
German ‘establishment’ is the biggest chink in their
otherwise impenetrable armour. Their resulting
ubiquity, as they put it, no longer appeals to buyers
seeking individuality. But aside from the rarity of Infiniti
cars on our roads, there are other elements which will
appeal to those wanting an ownership experience out
of the ordinary. The man or woman who deals with
you when you put down the money for your car will be
your Personal Consultant, looking after things like
servicing and repairs thereafter. They’ve thought
through the user-chooser process pretty convincingly
too. Not only is there a good choice of interior finishes
and colours, but rather than having to select such an
important aspect from a teeny block of colour in a
brochure (Dulux colour chart syndrome), they’ll produce
mega bits of leather in all the available colours, with
which you can adorn an interior to get the full living
experience. And before you buy an Infiniti, the website
will offer a ‘car building’ process that is second to none;
if you think that sounds like marketing speak, it does
indeed, but give it a try and you’ll see what I mean.
The Infiniti cars do of course benefit from all Nissan’s
experience; the basic platform of the G cars is from the
250Z for instance, but the dealerships will be distinct,
and infrequent. Expect to see 13 of them “in a few
years” we were told. For
now you must hop over
to Reading in Berkshire,
but 2010 will see centres
opening in London,
Birmingham and
Glasgow.
Our other drive of the day
was in the EX37, which
Infiniti style a “coupe
crossover …….
progressive coupe design
with the performance of
an SUV and the home
comforts of a saloon”. We
liked its styling (other
than the reddish brown
interior of our car which
you wouldn’t want to
approach with a queasy stomach). Ours was a GT
version, and it did feel firm and bouncy, though to be fair
we hadn’t loaded it with the sacks of cement it would be
very happy to accommodate. EX prices start at £35,200,
and like the G cars the full details of the range are on
the Infiniti website.
The UK is actually one of the last areas to get the Infiniti
brand (it’s been in America for years), but it’s good to
see something new in our motoring world, and there’s
plenty more to come in 2010, including diesel engines
and more hi-techery such as the Blind Spot Intervention
system which helps to stop you ploughing into the
geezer trying to overtake you.
Infiniti G37
Size:
4.78m x 2.00m (inc mirrors)
Engine:
3.7 V6 Petrol: 320PS
Gearbox:
6-speed manual or 7-speed
auto,
RWD or 4WD
Consumption:
26.7mpg (manual)
Price at Dec ’09:
£30,300 to £41,900
Full details of the Infiniti range available on the
manufacturer’s website: www.infiniti.co.uk
Peter Cracknell - December 2009
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