Infiniti FX : SOUND FX?

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Yes, it's another luxury 4x4 but Infiniti says that its FX is different. Steve Walker takes a look.

There are definitely easier tasks than launching a new and relatively unknown luxury car brand onto the UK market. How about eating a skip load of pickled eggs in half an hour or swimming the Atlantic wearing a Pink Panther outfit? What the people at Infiniti get up to in their own time is entirely up to them, but we do know for certain that they're launching a car brand so they're not afraid of a challenge. We also know that they're deadly serious about Infiniti's future prospects. The products will be key, of course, and the FX crossover 4x4 range forms a vital part of the Infiniti offering.

Gate-crashing the highly profitable prestige car club is extremely difficult as the product planners at many famous brands will testify. The Germans tend to occupy the dance floor while the likes of Volvo, Saab, Jaguar and Lexus spend their time trying to negotiate their way past the bouncers with varying degrees of success. Now the name Infiniti can be added to the list of wannabes but who's behind it? As motorists in the US and Japan will be well aware, Infiniti is Nissan's luxury car brand but its products have never previously been available in the UK through official channels. The firm's management team has a major task on its hands trying to muscle in but they'll take encouragement from the recent successes of Jaguar and Lexus in breaking the BMW, Audi and Mercedes stranglehold. Indeed, it's Lexus, the luxury arm of Toyota, with which comparisons to Infiniti are most easily drawn. The Infiniti marketing people are positioning the FX as a crossover which is always a rather fuzzy description. It's a full-sixe luxury 4x4 with a focus that's very much on comfort and performance on the road. The engine range lacks a diesel which puts it at a major disadvantage from the outset, and is comprised of a 3.7-litre V6 and a 5.0-litre V8. The V6 has 316bhp and can get the significant bulk of the FX37 to 60mph in just 6.8s then on to a 145mph top speed. The V8 engine is in the FX50 and with 385bhp, it can cover the sprint a whole second faster before reaching a 155mph speed limiter.

"â€¦it's a big 4x4 with a sporty feel and lots of power and technology for the price"

There's a lot of technology under the skin of the FX designed to enhance its road-going performance. The standard fit gearbox is a seven-speed automatic with paddle shifters on the steering wheel and the intelligent all-wheel-drive system distributes torque automatically to the wheels where it can be put to the best use. Climb the range and there are electronically controlled dampers that react to the road conditions automatically or can be set in a sport mode for a firmer ride and better body control. On the FX50 model, there's also active rear wheel steering which turns the back wheels as well as those at the front to improve manoeuvrability at low speeds and stability on the open road. With its elongated shape and small glass area, the FX has the look of a coupe on stilts rather than a conventional large 4x4. There are obvious similarities in the basic styling approach to the BMW X6 but the detailing is very different with the FX displaying curves and bulges in place of the BMW's sharp, angular lines. The long bonnet, steeply raked windscreen and vents behind the front wheel arches contribute to the sporty appearance. In the metal though, the car's sheer size means it still has the imposing presence of a 4x4. The links between Nissan and Infiniti are only really evident in the cabin where eagle-eyed owners will spot elements of the design and switchgear that have previously popped up in Nissan products. Huge efforts have obviously been made to generate the premium feel that's so important in the luxury 4x4 segments and for the most part, they appear to have been successful. Infiniti is making great play of the equipment levels offered as standard in all its products. It's easy to inflate the price of rival models far and away above that advertised with a few choice extras from the options list but the Japanese brand is banking on low prices and a comprehensive standard specification giving it the edge it needs. On all FX models, customers receive Bi-Xenon adaptive headlights that turn with the steering wheel, full leather trim, heated and cooled front seats with electric adjustment, I-Key smart access, cruise control, an electric sunroof, a 2Gb music jukebox, a rear view camera and cruise control. The basic V6 model is badged FX GT and above that sits the FX S with its more sports-orientated approach. Here buyers get huge 21" alloy wheels, sports seats and the CDC active damping system. At the top of the range, the FW50S model has Intelligent Cruise Control which can maintain a set distance to the car in front and Intelligent Brake Assist which can warn of a potential collision and brake the car if necessary. At this level, there's also the Connectiviti+ package which combines a DVD player, satellite navigation, a 10Gb music jukebox and a Bose premium stereo with 11 speakers. Infiniti has also done some clever things on the customer service side with the emphasis on what it calls the Total Ownership Experience. Dealerships aim to capture the atmosphere of a boutique hotel rather than a car showroom with the emphasis on hospitality. The brand has been pioneering such innovations in other markets since its creation 20 years ago and is confident of offering something very different to the UK car buyer. Overall running costs will depend greatly on residual values and that's something that the market may take quite a while to decide upon. The signs are good however with Infiniti pumping sizable resources into getting its message out there. Fuel economy and emissions are about what you'd expect from big petrol engines in big four-wheel-drives. The FX37 returns 23mpg on the combined cycle and emits 282g/km but it is Euro V compliant. The FX50 manages 22mpg and 310g/km emissions. Owners may need to make their contributions to saving the planet elsewhere. Can Infiniti make it big in the UK and upset the prestige car market's status quo in the process? If we take the FX crossover 4x4 as an indication, it looks to be in with a chance. The product itself isn't trying to do anything groundbreaking which is probably a sensible move in this conservative marketplace. Instead, it's a big 4x4 with a sporty feel and lots of power and technology for the price. The FX isn't exactly arriving in an empty market. There are numerous plush off-roaders trying to lure exactly the same type of customer and they have badges that are more readily recognisable to UK motorists. Much will hinge on the standard of the special customer service that Infiniti is working so hard to deliver and with only modest sales targets for the short term, there should be plenty of opportunity to finesse the details. If that can be got right, the FX and the other models in the range will have a real unique selling point and the Germans might just start to worry.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Infiniti FX
PRICES: £42,600 - £53,800
INSURANCE GROUPS: 18-19 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: 282-310g/km
PERFORMANCE: [FX37] 0-60mph 6.8s / top speed 145mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 23.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: six airbags, ASC, ABS.
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 4640/1800/1580