Friday 17th August 2007

Meet The First Infiniti Destined For UK Shores

Sporty SUV helps launch Nissan's premium brand in UK

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Aggressive styling at the front.

The first car to head Infiniti’s assault on the European market will be an all wheel drive coupe cross-over called the ‘EX35’.

Equipped with a trimmed-down 3.5-litre V6 from the Nissan 350Z, the EX will have around 290 horsepower and a five-speed automatic gearbox.

The 0-62 dash will be covered in 7.5 seconds and top speed will be 150mph. In other words, it’s a sporty soft-roader.  

Using the ATTESA E-TS four wheel drive system with a torque-sensing differential, Nissan promises better traction on wet roads and rear-wheel drive performance characteristics on dry roads.

Not bad from the rear either.

Other features include an Around View Monitor – a system that has four cameras to get rid of blind spots when parking – and ‘Scratch Shield’ paint work. So, if there’s a small scratch, it’ll eventually fix itself.

At the moment, Infiniti is only sold in the West in Ukraine and Russia and there’s no word on prices, but Nissan names the BMW X3 (over £36,000) and Audi A4 Quattro Avant (around £30,000) as close comparisons.

The EX will be launched as part of a four-model

Interior should be more luxurious than normal.

premium range in Autumn 2008.

[j-j]

Don't really know what to say...

Just another lump of 'luxury' metal...

Alittle uninspiring... Haven't we got enough of these already????

[Stig]

I've always liked the 35. Sell v.well in the US.

[Fidgits]

erm, isnt that just the crossover SUV Nissan sold, the murano or something?

get the G35 over here and i'll be interested!

[clonmult]

"Aggressive styling at the front" ????

Looks like another bland jelly mould design, aggressive it definitely isn't.

[wab172uk]

Why do we need the Infiniti badge in Europe anyway?

So this new Infiniti is basically a Nissan Murano? No?
Why not just give us the Murano Concept car (as featured on 5th Gear a couple years ago) Would much rather have a sporty SUV, than a luxurious floppy SUV.

[havoc]

From the looks of it that IS the Murano...just with a different body/interior.

...and therefore, can i be the first to state: WGAF!!!

[Huw Pugh]

What a PoS! The Murano is so much nicer!

[Frimley111R]

Great idea, their first car is a petrol engined 4x4 from a company no-one has really heard of, should sell like hot cakes!!!

[0to60]

wish they had released the INFINITI FX here first, this new one looks like a crap version of it

[Wiggyfella]

0to60 said:

wish they had released the INFINITI FX here first, this new one looks like a crap version of it

My thoughts exactly. Been waiting for the FX to come into this country for ages, as it'd sell well against the RX, X5, ML, etc.

[Futuramic]

Sounds like it's mechanically different to the Murano. The Murano was FWD in normal usage so perhaps the Infiniti is sportier?

[jonott]

Go to the States every year and never fail to be impressed by the FX. Such a good looking SUV in my opinion (still have soft spot for the Range Rover mind). In fact the whole Infiniti range looks good and sounds great too...same engine as 350Z? EX35 just doesn't cut the mustard...

[henrycrun]

you can take your FUV and stuff it up your bottom...

[shadowninja]

Isn't it a copy of the Lexus Lump?

[School boy]

Does it mean it's sold in the West and Ukraine and Russia or is it classing them as the West?

Edited by School boy on Saturday 18th August 23:02

[Whiters]

I'm not into the whole SUV thing, but the FX is 'Infiniti'ly better looking and proportioned than that lump of lard!

[Asterix]

We've had them here in Dubai for a while.

While not what I'd want in a car - they do actually look quite good in the flesh - quite futuristic and the interiors, so I'm told, are very well designed and screwed together.

[Fetchez la vache]

So which automotive design school keeps churning out these designers with an affinity to wide arsed, wide mouthed bullfrogs?

[deevlash]

what exactly is aggresive about that?