Motoring News

A new style of performance saloon – brimming with passion, craftsmanship and driver appeal – comes to Europe in 2010 as the world’s newest luxury automotive brand Infiniti faces up to the traditional executive car hierarchy for the first time. Power, performance and technology all come together with signature Infiniti sophistication in the all-new Infiniti M Line which makes its official public debut in the USA today, prior to European sales starting next September.

Featuring industry-first features, advanced Safety Shield technology and displaying Infiniti’s unswerving commitment to passionate design and a rewarding drive, Infiniti’s latest example of Inspired Performance will be the first M to be available in all of Infiniti’s 34 world markets – including Western Europe.

A more exclusive alternative to the traditional stalwarts of the executive class, such as the BMW 5-series and Mercedes E-Class, the M Line goes on sale in European showrooms from September 2010 with petrol and diesel V6 power options, while an innovative petrol-electric hybrid is due to join the range in Europe in 2011. All will have a seven-speed automatic transmission.

The M Line takes Infiniti’s saloon range in Europe – which also includes the G37 – to a higher new level, inside, outside and on the road, too. The Infiniti M combines rear-wheel drive poise with impeccable luxury credentials in a 4945mm-long saloon with space to spare inside the best designed and finished cabin that Infiniti has ever offered. As flagship saloon for the brand, the M Line also revels in the uniqueness that is Infiniti, from the flowing lines of the Essence concept car-inspired profile and the integrity of the natural materials used, to the pledge of an utterly hassle-free ownership experience.

The new, third-generation M Line has been able to call on key Infiniti strengths in order to satisfy more demanding European drivers. These include lightweight aluminium componentry, adaptive technology, race-bred engine design, sophisticated chassis design with almost perfect weight distribution and proven double-wishbone suspension with the availability in some models of Infiniti’s sports handling technology, 4-Wheel Active Steering (4WAS).

It debuts many new features such as Blind Spot Intervention, Infiniti Drive with Eco mode, Active Noise Control and the Forest Air climate system which are explained in more detail in the next section. To the benefit of looks, ride and cabin room, the M also has one of the longest wheelbases in the class. Finally, its body is one of the most aerodynamic on the road, too.

The new Infiniti M has its first outing – in the metal – at an unveiling in Beverly Hills, California, yesterday (December 1) prior to US sales commencing in the spring. An earlier debut, in August this year, was as a ‘virtual’ car created in 3D by video mapping – presaging a trend for ‘firsts’ that the new M Line is well placed to expand upon. 

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