Infiniti's diesel and hybrid future

Nissan's luxury arm announces details on its first diesel engine and a 5-Series rival with hybrid power

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Jack Rix

19th February 2010

It’s back to black for Infiniti! Nissan’s luxury arm is continuing its assault on the European car market with the conformation of an all-new diesel engine and a hybrid model for 2011.

Co-developed with Renault and Nissan, the 3.0-litre V6 unit produces 235bhp and 550Nm of torque. Available initially in both the firm's SUVs, the EX and FX, the new engine will return 34mpg and 31mpg respectively while delivering performance to rival the big three premium brands from Germany.

Infiniti's impact in Western Europe has been limited since its introduction last year - selling just 2,500 units. But the main barrier was having only large capacity V6 and V8 petrol engines in its line up - this engine is set to change all that.

The oil-burner will also be available on Infiniti’s all-new BMW 5-Series rival, the M Line, which goes on sale in the UK in September with the 3.7-litre V6, and in October with the new diesel. Infiniti has also confirmed a petrol V6 hybrid M will go on sale in early 2011, returning diesel-like fuel economy with the performanc and driving pleasure of a petrol.

The luxurious new M35 hybrid will make its European debut in Geneva, where we'll be able to gather more details on its lexus-rivalling petrol-electric powertrain.

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1 Comment

I like the look of the Infiniti M Series along with the majority of the Infiniti line up but it was clear from the start that they were going absolutely nowhere in the UK and Europe without diesel engines. I guess the slump in car sales has delayed the investment but they also need to establish a few more dealerships in the UK or they will run the risk of doing a Cadillac. I think this would be a real shame as the cars are much better than that, the G Series / Nissan Skyline has been well regarded by the press and has been a relatively popular parallel import.

By Beckerman on 20 February, 2010, 4:03pm

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