Where we stand: February, 2012
As the luxury division of Japanese carmaker Nissan, the Infiniti brand is better known for high performance vehicles than anything that can be remotely described as “green”.
Nevertheless, in recent times, Infiniti has taken steps towards expanding its line-up and appealing to a wider consumer base with several green innovations – including a number of hybrid models. Here we take a look at the story so far for Infiniti and its plans for a greener future.
Infiniti today
The Infiniti brand started life in 1989 when it was introduced in the United States with the aim of targeting the country’s premium vehicle segments that wouldn’t traditionally match the mainstream image of Nissan. It started with the Q45, before the Infiniti M30 model was introduced in 1990. However, having trailed the likes of Lexus, it was in the 2000s when Infiniti really started to make a breakthrough with CEO Carlos Ghosn aiming to turn the brand into the “Japanese BMW” and taking it away from its Nissan roots with the birth of the G35 series.
It was on the 20th anniversary of the brand, in 2009 that it began to make environmental breakthroughs. To mark the occasion it introduced the Infiniti Essence vehicle at the Geneva Motor Show (see article) – an all-new hybrid electric vehicle.
The Infiniti Essence was never scheduled for production but marked an important transition in the carmaker’s efforts to appeal to a more environmentally and economically conscious group of drivers. It featured a 3.7litre V6 petrol engine with twin turbochargers rated at 440PS; as well as an electric motor with a 160PS rating, capable of producing 550Nm of torque.
In 2010, the brand introduced the Infiniti M featuring new powertrains: a 5.6litre V8 engine; a petrol direct injection engine; a V6 turbo diesel; and, for the first time in an Infiniti production vehicle, a newly developed hybrid powertrain, which included one electric motor and two clutches that would help to drive the rear wheels at the same time (see article). It also featured the lithium-ion battery pack that was first included in the Infiniti Essence.
At the Paris Motor Show in 2010, the Infiniti M35 Hybrid (see article) earned the tag of the “driver’s hybrid” thanks to its high performance capabilities. It can race from 0-62mph in less than 5.9seconds and achieve a top speed of 155mph. It can also cruise on electric power alone at speeds up to 87mph. In August 2011, the vehicle even set the Guinness world record time as the fastest acceleration production hybrid car.
Greenest models on sale:
The following are the greenest models of all new Infiniti cars available now in the UK:
Infiniti EX – Greenest Model: EX30d AT with combined fuel consumption of 33.2mpg and CO2 emissions of 224g/km.
Infiniti FX – Greenest Model: FX30d AT with combined fuel consumption of 31.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 238g/km.
Infiniti G37 – Greenest Model: G37 AT with combined fuel consumption of 26.9mpg and CO2 emissions of 246g/km.
Infiniti G Coupe – Greenest Model: G37 Coupe with combined fuel consumption of 26.9mpg and CO2 emissions of 246g/km.
Infiniti G Convertible – Greenest Model: G37 Convertible with combined fuel consumption of 24.8mpg and CO2 emissions of 264g/km.
Infiniti M – Greenest Model: M35h AT with combined fuel consumption of 40.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 162g/km.
Infiniti tomorrow:
In an effort to become more fuel efficient, Infiniti has revealed plans to introduce diesel versions of the M, EX and FX for the European market – all of these diesel versions were unveiled as part of the Geneva Motor Show in 2010.
However, in addition, Infiniti has revealed a sketch for its first-ever electric car (see article) that is scheduled for production in 2013. Little is known about the vehicle at this stage other than that it will be a high-performance, luxury, five-seat vehicle featuring zero emission technology.
