Infiniti M37 2013 Review

Keep your hand up if you knew it was a V8 sedan dubbed Q45, was priced beyond $140,000 (!) and just 132 were sold Down Under before it was quietly withdrawn from the market? Woah! Elite train-spotter!

Now, however, it's no secret that Infiniti is back in Australia, launching with a two-pronged attack comprising the FX SUV and the M luxury sedan. Such are the ways of the modern car-buying world, the FX is expected to outsell M. Nevertheless, for those traditionalists who still think of luxury in three-box terms, the M is a bonafide contender against the likes of the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Jaguar XF and Mercedes-Benz E-class.

As is Infiniti’s way the M is well equipped for the money and offers a wide choice of engines – the M37 3.7-litre petrol V6 being tested here, M30d 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 and M35h petrol-electric hybrid, which serves as the range flagship rather than a traditional V8.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

Pricing starts at $85,900 for the M37 GT, with the diesel version an extra $2000. The M37 S Premium is $97,900, the diesel again adds $2000. The M35h GT Premium is $99,900.

Standard equipment is comprehensive. At GT level it includes 18-inch alloy wheels, scratch resistant paint, Bi-xenon adaptive headlights, real wood trim, leather upholstery, two-driver memory for steering wheel, exterior mirrors and 10-way adjustable heated and ventilated driver’s seat, keyless entry and start, sunroof, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, hard drive sat-nav, Bluetooth, aux and iPod connection.

A little disappointingly, the audio system is only six-speaker single CD.

But S Premium immediately addresses that by upgrading to 16 speaker BOSE surround sound (including speakers in the shoulders of the front seats!) with noise cancellation (same principle as the headphones used on aircraft), as well as adding magnesium paddle shifters for the auto, more sportily tuned suspension with dual-piston shock absorbers, four wheel steering, bigger brake rotors, 20-inch wheels, front sports seats and a heap of cosmetic touches (among other things).

Compared to the GT, the hybrid’s most important additions are safety-related (see SAFETY section below), which are shared with the S Premium.

A space saver spare tyre is standard issue. All Infinitis come with a four-year/100,000km warranty, along with 24-hour roadside assistance, also valid for four years.

The only option is metallic paint at $1500.

The VQ series DOHC 3.7-litre V6 features variable intake valve lift and event (timing to you and me) and produces 235kW at a heady 7000rpm and 360Nm at 5200rpm. It averages 10.2L/100km (on 95 RON), emits 235g CO2/km and accelerates from 0-100km/h in just 6.2 secs.

The Renault-sourced V9X 3.0-litre DOHC direct injection turbodiesel produces 175kW and 550Nm (from just 1750rpm), averages 7.5L/100km, emits 199g CO2/km and accelerates from 0-100km/h in 6.9 secs.

The M35h, which combines a 225kW/350Nm VQ 3.5-litre V6 (also DOHC but no VVEL) with a 50kW/270Nm electric motor and two clutches in a parallel hybrid arrangement, averages 6.9L/100km (on 95), emits 159g CO2/km and accelerates from 0-100km/h in 5.5 secs.

The M’s seven-speed automatic transmission includes adaptive shift control, downshift rev matching and in the premium versions, magnesium paddle shifters.

Suspension is double wishbones up-front (replacing the previous generation’s struts) and multi-links at the rear. Steering is via electrically controlled power-assisted vehicle speed variable rack and pinion.

All Ms come with Infiniti Drive Mode Selector (IDMS: Standard, Eco, Sport and Snow modes) which varies throttle and transmission settings. S Premium versions of the V6s also come with four-wheel active steering which can be adjusted via IDMS.

Inside, it’s a theme continued. The centre stack is more of a wave, bulbously flowing out through its centre, before docking with the centre console. It looks great, especially trimmed in Japanese ash and chrome. There is a touch of tradition here courtesy of the analogue clock – and, less sexily, the foot park brake!

Alas, as a result of the decision to stick to fashion, some function has been lost. That’s because some of the controls for things like climate control actually face away from the driver. It’s also a little disconcerting that some of the frequently touched surfaces are quite hard. And there were a couple of trim gaps that didn’t quite match up. Overall though, this Japanese-built car exuded high quality.

The front seats are simply huge and superb in their comfort level. In the rear there is also an excellent amount of space leg. Headroom will be a tad tight for really tall passengers. Why there are no door pockets for storage is a bit mystifying.

The boot is fully carpeted and there is no intrusion from the lid struts, but wheel arches do encroach. Nevertheless Infiniti claims an impressive 500 litres capacity before the rear seat is split-folded flat. The diesel is 450 litres, the hybrid (with the Li-ion battery pack swallowing space), just 350 litres.

The Premium models add a bunch of extra high-tech features, including blind spot intervention and warning, forward collision warning, intelligent cruise control and lane departure warning..

There are no NCAP ratings for the Infiniti M

Only the entry-level four-cylinder turbopetrol and diesel Audi A6s and BMW 5 Series are cheaper, while the Benz E-classes are lineball.

Fellow Japanese Lexus has just introduced a new generation GS sedan and it is a little more competitive. It’s the same story for the Jaguar XF, but the entry-level M is definitely an outstanding value proposition.

This is a large car, measuring up at 4945mm overall and weighing in at a reasonable 1652kg (aluminium doors and bonnet help). And it tends to progress in a way a car of this size is expected to. It’s not blousy, but nor is it pin-sharp.

Indeed, it is utterly pleasant. Steering, handling, ride and noise minimisation are all first rate for cruising at low, medium and highway speeds. Push harder and you’ll need to consider the S Premium.

It’s easy to imagine driving to and from work in the financial district each day and then heading off to the golf course on Saturday – and I don’t even play golf (and the only thing I know about finance is I don’t have enough!)

The engine is similarly understated. It lacks a little pulling power at tip-in throttle, but with seven speeds paying attention it soon gets spinning smoothly, quietly quickly up through the range where it does its best work.

Only the fuel economy is potentially set to raise its ugly head if the throttle is used too heavily. Which exposes one of the M37’s few equipment shortfalls, the lack of the latest fuel saving features such as idle-stop, brake energy regeneration and the like.

It’s also a reminder that while new to us, this M has actually been around since 2010.

But that’s an issue that can’t alter the fundamental nature of the M37 GT, which shapes as an enjoyable, comfortable and even affordable (in relative terms) execution of the modern luxury car. It should end up being more memorable than the Q45 then…

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