We really like Infiniti’s current portfolio; the G made our 10Best list for 2009, and the brand has truly managed to recapture the spirit of the original Q45, which was probably the sportiest offering in its class when it was launched in the fall of 1989.
But you can always make a good thing better, which [...]
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We really like Infiniti’s current portfolio; the G made our 10Best list for 2009, and the brand has truly managed to recapture the spirit of the original Q45, which was probably the sportiest offering in its class when it was launched in the fall of 1989.
But you can always make a good thing better, which is what Infiniti tried for the European launch of the brand, currently underway. Speaking with European company executives, you get a clear sense of the internal competition within Infiniti. About 45 to 50 engineers were dedicated to the Europeanization of the G37 sedan, coupe, and convertible, as well as the EX and FX crossover SUVs.
“We changed 500 parts on G,” says Nicolas Tschanner, Infiniti’s European chief product planner. The three goals: meet European regulation, enhance perceived quality, and alter the driving characteristics for European tastes. Infiniti also stiffened the rear to allow towing. The changes amount to over 60 pounds of extra weight.
You won’t visually see much of the changes to comply with European regulation, although the front end of the G sedan is about an inch longer than its U.S.-market counterpart to house a different crash structure. The changes in perceived quality are more noticeable: The lower door panels are padded, the carpeting is more upmarket, and the door seals are completely reengineered to keep the car silent up to its governed 155-mph top speed.
But most significant are the changes to the driving characteristics. “The US models are tuned aggressively to let the driver experience an agile and sporty car at the low speeds driven there,” explains an Infiniti Europe executive. “Our tuning is completely different—we want the car to be unobtrusive and confident well into triple-digit speeds.” He cites one example: “Our U.S. colleagues want customers to feel the four-wheel steering system. We are instead going for a smooth, linear sensation.”
The changes are easy to perceive behind the wheel. The European G37 is a more balanced car, superior to its already very competent U.S. counterparts, but it also feels more detached. Many buyers with sporting aspirations would feel the U.S. models are more fun at lower speeds. Similarly, the European-market FX50S loses its almost comically aggressive U.S.-market throttle response, something we’ve lamented in our own long-term FX. “The U.S. model is mainly tuned to barrel from stoplight to stoplight,” says a European Infiniti exec.
Infiniti does not stop at an extensive re-engineering of existing models for Europe; there is also a diesel engine in the pipeline, which will be important for the European executive fleet market. A 3.0-liter, V-6 unit co-developed with Renault will be available in the EX and FX crossovers, as well as the upcoming M sedan. The M sedan will also become available with a gasoline-hybrid powertrain—an official announcement on that is coming shortly.
What’s after the M? There is no official word, but we believe the most likely additions are another top-of-the-line Q sedan or a compact car in the spirit of the Audi A3.
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