FX30d aims for Infiniti and beyond
It’s possible that you haven’t heard of Infiniti but it’s a company that’s prepared to kidnap a colour in the pursuit of brand awareness. How very modern. Infiniti wants to render us all unable to see the colour purple without thinking about its brand. During lunch, even my mashed potatoes were purple.
Launched 20 years ago in North America, Infiniti was conceived to present a very “modern” definition of luxury and attract buyers who are looking for an unusual alternative to the more established premium brands. Now it wants to account for 10 per cent of luxury cars globally in all of the key car markets, except for Japan.
I’m in Munich driving the latest version of Infiniti’s FX SUV crossover model. The FX promises to mix sports coupe performance with SUV practicality and the flagship 5.0-litre V8 version – the FX50 – can sprint from 0-62mph in seven seconds. It’s a car that Infiniti promises is more sportscar than SUV and it’s the model most people associate with Infiniti. Today, though, I’m driving the FX30d GT, which sees the powerful V8 engine of the FX50 replaced with a more modest 238hp 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 diesel for the European market, and which will almost certainly be the best-selling in the UK.
It certainly looks different. To some people’s eyes, this is not an attractive car. But to mine, it adds a very interesting alternative to the usual boxy form of SUVs, or so-called “SUV crossovers”. The very long bonnet and low, curved, coupe-style roofline suggest speed – like a sportscar on steroids – rather than SUV practicality. It really does stand out.
Perhaps, then, you’ll not be surprised to learn that inside the FX is not the most spacious of SUVs, given its exterior shape. But that’s not the point. Infiniti has designed the FX so that the engine is as far back as possible, to maximise weight distribution. The cabin inside is comfortable and well specced out, if a little dull. Instrument illumination is, unsurprisingly, in purple.
The steering is good; communicative and with a driving position that feels akin to a sportscar but at an elevated height. In the bends, the FX handles well for a big car. It has plenty of grip and is more agile than expected. The AWD system is really quite clever. It functions as a rear-wheel drive unless four-wheel drive is needed, when it can send power to wherever it’s needed.
Still, it feels most at home on the motorway. There is a short delay when you put your foot down, thanks to that turbo, and so it is most fun when already wound up. The seven-speed automatic gearbox can, of course, do all of the work for you, or you can shift using the paddles behind the steering wheel. Gear changes are not always smooth but the overall experience is relaxing enough.
Inside the cockpit you don’t get to hear much of the diesel engine unless you have your foot down, when it doesn’t have most agreeable exhaust note. Overall, the FX30d just doesn’t feel quite quick enough, despite being very sporty for an SUV.
With the FX, Infiniti hopes to attract people who love coupes but will be prepared to trade up into FX when their lifestyle changes, as well as pinch punters from other brands. It’s a car for people who don’t want to drive an Audi, BMW, Lexus or Mercedes because so many other people do. In that context it’s a roaring success. It is uniquely different and quite unlike anything else on sale. Which means if it’s your kind of thing, the FX could be a seductive proposition.
THE FACTS:
INFINITI FX30D GT
PRICE: £46,840 0-62MPH: 8.3 secs
TOP SPEED: 132mph
CO2 G/KM: 238g/km MPG COMBINED: 31.4mpg
The VERDICT:
DESIGN ****
PERFORMANCE ***
PRACTICALITY ***
VALUE FOR MONEY ****