Infiniti FX Estate

FX Estate Summary

An SUV designed on the pages of a Japanese manga graphic novel, the Infiniti FX is quite unlike anything on the road. Its proportions are wild, it one of few cars that can make 20-inch alloy wheels look small. Initially introduced in the UK in petrol only guise the 3.7-litre V6 and 5.0-litre V8 engines have now been joined by a 3.0-litre turbodiesel. Its 235bhp might pale alongside the V6 petrol’s 315bhp and the massive 385bhp on offer from the V8, but it has got more torque than either of them, making it an easier, less rev-hungry machine.

It’ll reach 62mph in 8.3 seconds, which although slower than those two petrol engines, is plenty quick enough in something the size of the FX. It’s not its height or length that’s so noticeable, but its width, it feeling very wide on narrow British streets. The seven-speed automatic is smooth, and that wide track means it’s hugely stable, the FX making quite a convincing impression of a sports car in the corners. There’s very little lean and the steering is sharp, but the large alloy wheels and rather uncompromising suspension do mean the ride can be a bit busy on our less than perfectly surfaced roads.

If you like to be different and love technology then the Infiniti FX is for you. The standard equipment list is vast, as even the entry-level models come with climate control, an electric tailgate, cruise control, keyless go, 20-inch alloy wheels, heated and cooled leather seats with electrical adjustment and xenon headlamps and a reversing camera as standard. Head up the range and that reversing camera is replaced with a cool all-round monitor, making it a cinch to park even this monstrously proportioned machine. An unusual, but always head-turning sight in the UK, the Infiniti is an interesting alternative choice, but one that ultimately struggles to live up to its premium billing.