Price £50,815
MPG 31.4
Top speed 131mph
Until now, the only person you ever heard say the word "infinity" was Buzz Lightyear. But you're going to start hearing it more often, particularly in the carparks of luxurious hotels and golf courses. Infiniti (that's not a misspelling) is the new premium division of Nissan. In the same way Toyota reinvented itself for the luxury market with Lexus, so Infiniti is the toff to Nissan's tuff.
But why would anyone launch a premium range one year into this financial apocalypse? The answer, according to Infiniti's charismatic British frontman Wayne Bruce, is that the posh end of the car market – the top 4% – has been virtually unaffected by the recession. The second reason is that Infiniti is, in fact, not new. It began selling cars in the US on 8 November 1989. Since then, country by country, the super-luxe brand has been spreading its soothing balm – Britain is number 34 on its list of conquests. The one country where the car is still virtually unknown is Japan. There the Infinities are badged as Nissans – an Infiniti M is a Nissan Fuga, for instance. The Japanese obviously have less trouble swallowing Nissan as a maker of luxury cars.
If you didn't know Infiniti was a car brand, you might think it was a cult. The architect-designed showrooms are all glass walls, bespoke art and doorless offices where you can discuss your financing options at a whisper with your "Infiniti ambassador". The showrooms are identical the world over, from Reading to Rome, and Wayne expects there to be eight in the UK by the end of 2011. Inside each dealership you get your first taste of what Infiniti calls its "total ownership experience" and owning one will be the "reward of individualiti".
The brand's biggest market by far is the US – last year 81,000 drivers enjoyed "the reward of individualiti". No surprise really, as the cars are mostly 3-litre monoliths which swallow petrol quicker than a rugby player can chug a pint. In the UK, Infiniti will have five models on offer – and the pick of the bunch is the FX, a V8 4x4 monster. The FX may have been America's Next Top Model, but a 5-litre petrol engine was never going to wash over here, so the beast has been civilised for European market with the introduction of a 3-litre V6 diesel.
The FX30D is a high-performing sophisticated motor that now has to pick a fight with those other gentlemen of the road: the Porsche Cayenne, BMW X6, Audi Q7 and Range Rover Sport. How will it fare? Pretty well. It's a robust, well-built vehicle that's cheaper and more interesting than you'd expect for a car with such a generous spec – and it also has the kudos of being novel. So, if you like 'em chunky, the FX should be high on your hit list.
As with all things, much of the delight is in the detail, and the Infiniti boasts two very clever bonuses. It has a 360° parking camera which presents you with an astonishing bird's-eye view of your parking manoeuvre. And it also comes coated in self-healing paint. The top layer is an invisible covering of melting polymer which slowly infills any small dings and scratches. I worried that over the years it would eventually all slop on to the tarmac, but Wayne assures me not.
So, as Buzz may soon be saying: "To Infiniti and beyond…"
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or visit theguardian.com/profile/martinlove for all his reviews in one place
