MOTOR TREND: First Drive: 2008 Infiniti EX35
Ever since Nissan introduced the front-mid (FM) platform back in 2002, it's been the automaker's saving grace, underpinning a host of significant vehicles-namely, the iconic 350Z sports car and Infiniti's core models, the G and M sedans and the FX sport/utility-and catapulting the brand back to competitive excellence. For Infiniti, this robust, adaptable architecture has garnered not only high praise (we declared the new G37 coupe superior to the benchmark BMW 335i in an August comparison test) but also strong sales (the G and the FX represent the brand's top-selling car and sport/utility) that resurrected the make and kept it from swirling down the drain. Further, this month's cover car, the Z06-contending GT-R, rides on FM-tweaked architecture. Legitimate platform? To say the least.  So imagine our delight when Infiniti announced at last April's New York auto show that, beginning late this month, it would start selling a fresh FM-based sport/ute combining the style of a G coupe with the utility of an FX sport/ute. Naturally, our anticipation was high, especially since picturing this chic crossover was as easy as staring at the handsome EX Concept slowly pirouetting on the turntable.


Built by a company devoted to style, the new EX35 embodies plenty of it, evidenced by an arching, coupelike roofline, a double-arch grille, L-shaped headlamps, and aggressive proportions highlighted by a long hood, short overhangs, and a rearward cabin. The EX measures 182.3 inches long (1.6 inches longer than an Acura RDX), 71.0 inches wide (2.6 narrower), and only 61.9 inches tall (3.3 shorter), and as a result looks more like a G35 hatchback than an FX wannabe. Indeed, the EX isn't even as tall as Volvo's new XC70 wagon, which stands 1.2 inches higher. However classified, the EX is nevertheless a sleek, muscular vehicle, certainly with its "Fluid Finish" paint job. Codeveloped by Nissan and Nippon Paint, this new technology consists of a highly elastic self-healing, scratch-resistant resin that is applied to the paint and, depending on temperature and scratch depth, can repair itself within a week. No shortcomings here, but the EX's style and size do have theirs: Rear-seat legroom, at 28.5 inches, pales to the 37.7 in the RDX, and the meager 16.8 cubic feet of cargo volume (only 3.3 more than that of a G35) is down by a couple of Miata trunks compared with the Acura's 27.8. Further, don't expect the low-slung EX to easily trudge off-road to the cabin-all-wheel-drive versions provide just 5.7 inches of ground clearance.


Fortunately, despite its deficiencies, the EX doesn't suffer from a lack of performance, which, if you rarely tote around kids, friends, or gobs of gear, will more than make up for any inadequacies. Like its G35 sibling, the EX is inspired by a 3.5-liter version of Nissan's VQ-series V-6, which delivers 297 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. The changes necessary to tune down the dual exhaust by two decibels relative to the G's accounts in part for a loss of nine horses and 13 pound-feet. Still, motivating between 3800 to 4000 pounds and paired with a standard five-speed automatic with manual control and downshift rev matching, the 3.5 feels sufficiently robust and refined and shouldn't struggle cracking off 0-to-60 sprints in the mid-six-second range. According to EX vehicle manager Yasuhiro Shiraishi, the man responsible for the current as well as the next-gen FX, which will bow at March's Geneva motor show, the EX's front control-arm suspension is most similar to the Z's while the rear multilink setup closely resembles that of the FX. The result is excellent ride composure and body control, whether rolling on the standard 17-inch wheels or the optional 18s, and the direct and positive sensations from the variable-assist steering and four-wheel vented disc brakes impart a downright sporty personality that should attract enthusiasts. Speaking of which, those driving purists will be pleased to know that the EX, in addition to its available ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive, is the only entry in its segment to offer rear drive.


            



Seeing that luxury is an inherent reason for buying a luxury crossover, the EX Journey (Base versions get standard cloth seats) comes equipped with arguably the richest interior in its segment, certainly when fitted with the optional Luxe Elite Package (as in our tester), which, in addition to a driver-seat-mounted coat hanger, 18-inch wheels, bi-Xenon headlamps, and an adaptive front lighting system, adds upgraded leather to the G-inspired cockpit. Available maple wood trim spruces up the cabin further, and there are a bevy of options-including power-folding second-row seats, a Premium Package (Bose audio, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth, power passenger seat), and a Navigation Package (hard drive-based nav system, XM NavTraffic, a 9.3-gigabyte Music Box, and a rearview monitor)-to suit various needs. The most notable option, however, and a real treat for the gadget geek or the parking challenged, is the Technology Package. On top of intelligent cruise control, the tech pack boasts Lane Departure Prevention that uses the stability control to apply the brakes on one side to pull the vehicle back into the lane when drifting, and an Around View Monitor that employs four CMOS cameras-mounted in the sideview mirrors, the front logo, and the rear license area-to transmit to the seven-inch color display a near 360-degree view around the vehicle. If you have trouble parallel parking, the AVM's assistance is unparalleled.



Infiniti is looking to move around 30,000 EXs a year, priced from about $32,000 for a rear-drive Base up to roughly $35,000 for an all-wheel-drive Journey. That goal shouldn't be difficult reaching, considering the far more expensive FX averaged sales of over 27,000 from 2003 to 2006. Given its standout sheetmetal, athletic chassis, foremost luxury, and clever technologies, the EX should prove a formidable player in its segment, even in light of its shortfalls. Really, how far can you fall when you possess style, speed, and sport?






Motor Trend Deems the Infiniti G37 "Superior"
(Motor Trend)

October 3, 2007 - Motor Trend editors already deemed the first-generation Infiniti G35 Coupe a "standout player in its segment." Little wonder, then, that in their May 2007 issue they declare the new G37 Coupe as keeping "that hot streak hot and BMW on ice." Undaunted by the 5.7-mile high-speed oval and four road courses of our Arizona proving grounds, the journalists test-drove the vehicle through the relentless desert heat and came out exhilarated. A Motor Trend editor exclaimed "?brag they should, as not only are the brakes stellar?but so is the car as a whole." Of acceleration, they write "visiting the redline is a smooth and euphonic exercise." Finally they concluded: "To sum up the G37 in a word: 'superior' comes to mind."


                                                                                     


First Place Sedans
(Car and Driver Magazine)


First Place
Infiniti M45 Sport

Here it is, folks: Infiniti's take-no-prisoners assault on the sports-luxoid segment. More power, more space, more right-now response to the driver's wishes. It's a heady cocktail of rumbling V-8 thrust, clawing big-tire grip, and let's-go chassis exuberance.

0505_comparo_infiniti_side.jpg Awesome engine, telepathic transmission, athletic chassis, voluminous interior.

The Verdict: Puts the sports back into sports sedan with a sledgehammer.

What's not to like? For us, hardly anything. Out here at the Lunatic Fringe Cafe, the customers are all looking for extreme involvement with vehicles that are fast and responsive, cars with tons of grip and tautly cinched ride motions. That's not to say the M45 is incapable of conveying sensitive passengers into town for tea, or whatever, because it can. The 335-hp V-8 has ample torque and abundant civility and will rumble about politely running chores. The five-speed automatic plays along, too, slurring smoothly from one ratio to another as needed.

True, the Sport model has taut underpinnings and low-profile tires and responds to rough surfaces with more jiggling and thumping than were found on most of the other rigs here. But according to the car's logbook, it's well within the bounds of most people's expectations, even for long trips. As far as creature comfort goes, the M45 has all the bells and whistles, at least with the Journey Package Sport, as our tester was equipped, including a great sound system, comfortable ventilated seats, and enough interior space to suit passengers of all sizes.

0505_comparo_infiniti_interior.jpgAmong a ream of reverential jottings, the logbook identified the center-console panel as the least-liked aspect of the car. Noted one editor, "The mass of buttons combined with the pseudo-iDrive knob seems a bit much for a car without even a nav system." Ouch! Harsh words for a design that does serve a nav system if so specified, but true enough in most of our eyes. If we wanted an ATM inside a car, we'd go pull one out of a wall.

Luckily for Infiniti, the M45 is all about the driving experience. This car aced everything in the lane-change and skidpad tests, helped no doubt by its 19-inch high-performance summer tires real tires, someone called them as well as by its wonderfully linear steering, crafty chassis geometries, and tightly constrained suspension. Then it spanked everything at the track. All this for just $51,860, Jack.

0505_comparo_infiniti_rear.jpgBut that's not the only reason this car won. Sports-car performance isn't enough, on its own, to carry the day. And it isn't that easy to incorporate hot-rod performance with the cultivated personality necessary in this genteel vehicle segment. That the M45 can combine the crazy laughter of a sports fiend with the discreet charm of the bourgeoisie to the extent it has, is good reason for it to stand at the top of the heap.

The M45 rocks. Game over.









Infiniti SUV Earns Top Safety Award

Excerpts from Reuters.com ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire

 
The new Infiniti EX35, a luxury SUV, earns the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick award for 2008. The EX35 is the first Infiniti to earn this award. Top Safety Pick winners afford superior overall crash protection among the vehicles in their class. To qualify a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests and be equipped with electronic stability control.

"Criteria to win are tough because the award is intended to drive continued safety improvements such as top crash test ratings and rapid addition of electronic stability control, which is standard equipment on the EX35," says Institute president Adrian Lund. "Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results."

"The EX35 is a leader in its class for state-of-the-art safety," Lund says. "You don't know what kind of crash you're going to be in. That's why it's important to choose a vehicle that will protect you in all kinds of crashes. The Top Safety Pick designation is intended to help people find the safest choices."

In 2007 the Institute made the criteria to earn the award tougher by adding a requirement that winners must be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC). This is based on Institute research indicating that ESC significantly reduces the risk of driver involvement in crashes in the first place.

Known by different names and called Vehicle Dynamic Control on the EX35, ESC helps drivers maintain control in the worst situation -- loss of control at high speed -- by engaging automatically when it senses vehicle instability and helping to bring a vehicle back in the intended line of travel, often without the driver knowing anything is wrong. ESC lowers the risk of a fatal single-vehicle crash by about half. It lowers the risk of a fatal rollover crash by as much as 80 percent.

Source Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved