Infiniti G37 Reviews

Here's the thing…Why would you buy one of these cars when you could have a Nissan 370Z for less? They're essentially the same car under the skin with the same 3.7-litre V6 providing the oomph, but the Zed gets a bit more power.There's no denying the desirability of the iconic Zed, now in its second generation but the Infiniti is still something of an unknown quantity (at least with this badge).VALUEPriced from $75,900 (or $83,500 for the better equipped G37 S Premium model that we drove), the coupe is a nice bit of gear. The interior is finished in full leather and it is better equipped than the Zed, but not by much.One major point of difference between the two cars is that G37 actually has a back seat, albeit a small one. There's not much legroom nor much headroom back there, but it will do at a pinch.Standard features include leather, climate air, push button start, swivel bi-xenons, 30Gb navi system, 7-inch touch screen and 11-speaker Bose sound system with 10Gb hard drive. The S adds sport seats, sports suspension, 4-wheel active steer, viscous limited-slip diff and opposed-piston sports brakes, along with larger 19-inch alloys.It all sounds pretty good but bear in mind that you can pick up an imported, late model Skyline coupe with just about delivery kilometres for half the cost.TECHNOLOGYIt has two doors and a boot whereas the two-seat Zed has two doors and a hatch. The G37 actually sits on a 30cm longer wheelbase, but it's track is slightly narrower front and rear. The 3.7 litre petrol V6 produces 235kW of power at 7000 revs and 360Nm of torque at 5200 revs, compared with the Zed's 245kW/363Nm and is paired with a seven-speed auto, with drive to rear wheels.There's sport mode and downshift rev matching, along with steering column mounted change paddles. The dash from 0-100km/h takes 5.9 seconds, compared with the Zed's unofficial 5.4 seconds (it's over 200kg lighter). Fuel consumption for the coupe is rated at 10.5 litres/100km (we were getting 13.6 litres/100km after about 400km).DESIGNThe G37's look is fairly staid compared with the bright colours and lightning bolt design of the Zed's lights. As a technology and performance wannabe, Infiniti would do well to consider more aggressive styling, something spectacularly different that would really get people to sit up and take notice. Just a thought.SAFETYNo problems here. Gets a full five stars for safety in crash tests. There's six airbags along with active front headrests, plus a full gamut of safety systems including electronic stability and traction control.DRIVINGIf you like the Zed, then naturally you're going to like the G37. The V6 is a fantastic engine and delivers the urgent response that's expected from a sports car, making all the right noises in the process.The steering is direct and incredibly responsive, guaranteeing the car will go where you point it.  At the same time the tyres tracked mercilessly on Sydney's streets following every irregularity. The big problem is it looks too much like one of the grey import Skylines that the teenagers all drive. Don't know about you but if I paid big money for a car, I'd want people to know that I was driving the real deal.VERDICTSorry. Like the car but we like the look of the Zed better.Infiniti G37 SPrice: from $83,500Warranty: 4 years roadside assistEngine: 3.7-litre 6-cylinder, 235kW/360NmTransmission: 7-speed auto, RWDThirst: 10.5L/100Km, CO2 246g/km

Pricing will be the key to Infiniti's success in Australia - despite the company refusing to announce prices until closer to the official launch in August.Audi, BMW and Lexus all have very capable vehicles and Infiniti will have to play on price as well as looks and performance The brand will launch with three platforms and a total of eight cars, all based on Nissan's 370Z architecture. But that range will progressively expand to seven models by 2015 when Infiniti expects to give German rivals Audi and BMW a serious hangover.Ironically, that will be partly due to the arrival of Daimler-sourced four-cylinder powerplants.FX crossoversThe BMW X5 leads the luxury SUV market - and the squared-off Beemer is right in the FX's headlights.Infiniti will launch the all-wheel drive model with all the flavours needed to satisfy demand, from a punchy 3.7-litre V6 petrol model to a 3.0-litre turbodiesel and a hi-po 5.0-litre V8 that (just) out-accelerates the Porsche Cayenne V8 S's 0-100km/h time of 5.9 seconds, though it can't match it on fuel efficiency.Infiniti says the FX50S will be more than $100,000 but adds that standard equipment levels will better those of its rivals, from the seven-speed automatic transmission to the 11-speaker Bose sound system.The V6s represent a more realistic real-world drive but Infiniti Australia general manager Kevin Snell predicts the FX50S will be the most popular of the trio at launch as early adopters chase the kudos of owning the top-end model.I'd buy the diesel. Its 0-100km/h time of 8.3 seconds doesn't reflect the effortless mid-range surge that is on tap once the vehicle is underway. The long bonnet and solid rear roof pillars means up-close visibility isn't a strong suit in the cars, which is why they're fitted with an array of cameras to help when parking, while the 50 also has four-wheel steering to help with cornering at carpark and freeway speeds.The driving position is closer to a luxury sedan than an SUV and the interior is as luxurious as a penthouse suite. That premium feel continues with the dynamics, with the steering precision not far off a Beemer and with more feedback than Audi's SUVs.Rear legroom is limited if the front-seat occupants are 180cm or more and there's not a huge amount of boot space - two suitcases will fill up the back.M sedansThe M37 petrol engine and M30d diesel donk are the same as those found in the FX range.The headline act for the mid-sized rival to the 5 Series, Audi A6 and Lexus GS350 is the hybrid M35h. It uses a 3.5-litre V6 with 225kW and 350Nm combined with a 50kW/270Nm electric motor. The combination has led to Guinness World Records certifying the car as the fastest-accelerating production hybrid car with a 0-100km/h time of 5.5 seconds.Fuel use is said to be 7.0-litres/100km and there's the now-expected three driving modes. The most efficient Eco mode increases the resistance of the accelerator pedal to discourage putting too much boot in. I'm not a fan but it is effective. The Infiniti sedan isn't far off the pace in terms of interior fit and finish either. The approach is busier than Audi's benchmark interiors but the execution is hard to fault.The switchgear has a solid feel and the satnav system is easy to drive and read while the voice instructions are timely and not confusing. G coupe and convertible The two-door G models are the oldest cars Infiniti Australia will bring in at launch and that's one of the reasons the company is holding off on the sedan variant of the small prestige car until the model model arrives late next year.Carsguide drove the M37 convertible that will be a direct competitor with BMW's 335i hardtop and reckons it will have the biggest task of any of the Infiniti range. The seamless six-cylinder engine in the 3 Series Beemer has more mid-range urge than the Japanese-built Infiniti and rear visibility is also marginally better.On the flip side, the default kit in the Infiniti is more extensive than that in the BMW and Infiniti says that will resonate with buyers who resent having to select - and pay a premium for - options boxes for what they consider should be standard creature comforts in a prestige vehicle. If we had a price the comparison would be much easier, but Infiniti won't talk hard numbers given it is still five months from putting cars in showrooms.The look is more lithe than the BMW though and that should earn it a following among those who want to stand out from the crowd.VERDICTIf the price is right Infiniti will wedge its way into the prestige market. It has the looks and performance to appeal and the company's research shows there is a market for cars that don't have the sharp crease lines that typify the major players in this space.And it's not looking to conquer the world -- just 10 per cent of it. Based on the execution so far, that's not an unrealistic expectation.MODELS:FX30d/M30d - 175kW/550Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbodieselFX37/M37/G37 - 235kW/360Nm 3.7-litre V6 petrolFX50S - 287kW/500Nm 5.0-litre V8M35h - 275kW/620Nm V6 petrol-electric hybrid