The Infiniti EX37 GT

Twenty years ago, Cars made by the Big Three of the Japanese auto industry – Toyota, Nissan and Honda – could be likened to waiters at a Hollywood party. Neatly dressed? Certainly. Discreetly efficient? Oh yes. Reliable? Supremely. But, of course, waiters were not expected to mingle socially with the guests. And nor could humble Toyotas, Nissans and Hondas expect to rub bumpers in the garages of the stars with the Mercedes, BMWs, Jaguars, Rolls-Royces and Bentleys – at least until Toyota’s “green” Prius hybrid came along.

This is something the makers of blue-collar America’s vehicles – Ford, Chrysler, General Motors – have long understood. Sure, the occasional iconic Ford or GM-badged car, such as the Mustang, Thunderbird or Corvette, can break through the societal taboos, but acceptance at the top requires the badge of a “premium” brand.

Thus the Japanese brought into being Lexus, Infiniti and Acura, the executive car brands of Toyota, Nissan and Honda respectively. And it is north America, traditionally the world’s biggest single market for luxury cars, which has provided their global springboard (the Lexus was introduced into Japan little more than five years ago).

It has been tough going for all three, but the stratagem appears to have worked. Lexus became north America’s top-selling luxury brand – quite an achievement when you consider that not even Toyota’s billions can buy it European-style heritage (the effects of its recent safety recalls are yet to be seen). Similarly Acura and Infiniti have steadily chipped away to the point where their north American sales have matched those of the home-grown prestige nameplates of Cadillac and Lincoln.

It is to the valuable markets of the UK and the rest of Europe that Infiniti’s attention is now turning. An Infiniti headquarters has been set up in Rolle, Switzerland; a fledgling dealer network has emerged; and 2009 witnessed the first noticeable sales: more than 1,600. By 2012, that should have leaped to at least 10,000 a year, according to IHS Global Insight.

If the Infiniti EX37 GT provides a guide, such a sales level may not be too hard to reach for a range that currently includes saloons, coupés and two sizes of four-wheel-drive vehicle.

The EX is the smaller of the four-wheel-drives – a “soft-roader” seeking to combine the comfort, ride and handling attributes of conventional saloons with some of the off-road abilities of fully fledged sports-utility vehicles. The £41,150 test car – base price £36,500 but loaded with extras – was very rapid, refined, dripping with technology and, despite its similar size, a cut above machines such as Volvo’s cheaper XC60 and even BMW’s X3 SUV range (with the exception of the £39,170 M version). Even then, the 282 horsepower BMW diesel is theoretically outgunned by the 320 horsepower of the EX’s 3.7 litre V6 petrol unit, which rivals a Porsche 911 for power.

Without question, the EX scoops a lot of the prizes, at least in the “soft-roader” category, for looks, ride and handling, despite the driving position being high and almost SUV-like, and cornering that falls short of the standard of a really good saloon. But it absorbs bumps remarkably well and has sharp, sensitive steering. Look beneath the exterior sheet metal and the reason becomes apparent. The underpinnings and drive system are shared with Nissan’s mighty GT-R and 370Z sports cars.

Nor is it bad off-road – its conventional (rather than SUV) tyres notwithstanding. It carried four of us for several hundred miles through gravel tracks and snow and ice-slicked forestry roads in the empty wastelands of the Scottish borders. Had we got into trouble, help would have been a long time coming in the absence of mobile phone signals. But the Infiniti felt secure and made a far better job of playing full-blown SUV than any of us expected.

A setter of new standards, then? Well, not quite. The EX is not without its flaws, some considerable. Interior space is the main one. Legroom is in short supply and luggage space likewise. Aesthetics are of course a matter of opinion, but someone please tell the Nissan/Infiniti designers that an all-brown interior cocoon – seats, carpets, door trims, you name it – is not exactly uplifting.

Performance is impressive, but with 3.7 litres of V6 so it should be – standstill to 62mph in 6.4 seconds is fast enough for most users.

And this brings us to another problem with the EX: the absence of a good, powerful, luxury sector diesel. Infiniti was created originally for north American drivers, for whom cheap petrol has until recently made diesels seem irrelevant. But diesels also have thumping torque at low revs, and in terms of perceived get-up-and-go torque can be more impressive than horsepower. Thus the M Series BMW X3 feels every bit as sprightly – and, for Europe, has an ace up its sleeve. The German car’s fuel consumption on the EU combined urban/rural test cycle is 36 miles per gallon; the EX37 trails well behind at 25mpg.

It is in the toy department, however, that the EX37 really excels. The Bose sound system comes with 11 speakers. The Xenon headlights turn with the car around corners. The rear seats fold down electrically at the press of a button. There is a Connectiviti system with 2Gb music box, iPod/USB connection, Bluetooth and front and rear parking sensors. There are all-round cameras to be called up on the dashboard display and, not least, intelligent cruise control with “brake assist”. The system automatically maintains safe distances when cruising, even braking if considered necessary. It’s not perfect. It can be confused occasionally by sudden lane changes. But then so can a lot of drivers.

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The details

Top-end Japanese fare reaches Europe

How much?
£36,500 before extras

How fast?
0-62mph 6.4 secs, Top speed 149mph

How thirsty?
25mpg on EU combined urban/rural test cycle

How green?
265g/km CO2

Also consider
BMW X3 35d and M Sport, from £37,400