Autoblog

Infiniti FX models see price drop for 2011

Dan Roth — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Crossover, Infiniti, Luxury

2011 Infiniti FX - Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2011 Infiniti FX has just received that rare gift of a price cut, with $2,600 coming off the FX50's MSRP and $1,250 in savings for the FX35. Looking at Infiniti's numbers for 2010, the division has been outperforming 2009 by anywhere from 10 to nearly 50 percent since February 2010, but the picture comes into focus when you separate the FX from the herd.

Despite good divisional performance, the swoopy FX is off 12.4 percent calendar year to date, according to the Nissan North America sales report for August 2010. It's not like 2009 was a banner year, of course, so to help spur FX sales, Infiniti has lowered the base MSRPs on its FX models to $41,600 for the rear-wheel-drive FX35, $43,050 for the FX35 with all-wheel drive and $56,400 for the V8-powered FX50. To sweeten the pot, Infiniti is also throwing in a standard power liftgate, too. We'll know soon enough whether the pricing gambit has worked. Official press release posted after the jump. Hat tip to Zach!

Gallery: 2011 Infiniti FX

[Source: Infiniti]

Continue reading Infiniti FX models see price drop for 2011

Infiniti FX models see price drop for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infiniti details 2011 model year lineup, two new packages for G37

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Hybrid, Sedan, SUV, Crossover, Infiniti, Luxury

2011 Infiniti QX56 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Infiniti has released details on its entire model lineup for 2011, and there are a couple of interesting tidbits to glean. Of course, we already know all about the new-for-2011 M and QX, so we'll focus on the other machines in Infiniti's line to see what's new, starting with the G series.

Two new extensions to the G Sedan will debut at the upcoming Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance: a Limited Edition model and a Sport Appearance package. Infiniti promises that both machines will be available in September and will feature "special exterior and interior content features." The G Coupe will gain a Sport Package for all-wheel-drive models, while Infiniti's G Convertible gets a revised fascia with relocated fog lights (no pictures available) and a Limited Edition model. Scratch Resistance Paint becomes standard on all G models.

Moving on, the 2011 EX will get a new seven-speed automatic transmission and 18-inch wheels as standard, while three new exterior paint colors will be offered. The larger FX will get a new standard power liftgate in 2011 and Infiniti also reminds us that it plans to release its M Hybrid along with an electric vehicle later this year.

There are plenty more bits, pieces and package changes that true Infiniti aficionados may want to peruse. Find all the details in the press release after the break.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Infiniti QX56

Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Infiniti]

Continue reading Infiniti details 2011 model year lineup, two new packages for G37

Infiniti details 2011 model year lineup, two new packages for G37 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infiniti teams up with Bell & Ross on limited edition wristwatch for the jet set

Noah Joseph — Wed, 12 May 2010 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Infiniti, UK, Luxury

Infiniti FX Limited Edition and the Bell & Ross BR03-92 Instrument Phantom Infiniti - Click above for high-res image gallery

Think of automotive brands associated with aviation, and what comes to mind? Saab and Spyker first and foremost (which may or may not be coincidental since the two are now under common ownership). Maybe BMW, Mitsubishi, and Fuji Heavy Industries (makers of Subaru vehicles)... but Infiniti would be a bit of a stretch. In the watchmaking sphere, Bell & Ross are synonymous with aviation, known as they are for producing timepieces designed after airplane instruments. Now the two brands have teamed up for a very limited edition wristwatch.

Complimenting the FX Limited Edition recently released (and almost already sold out) in Europe, only 100 examples of the BR03-92 Instrument Phantom Infiniti wristwatch will be produced, available only through Infiniti Centres in Europe. The timepiece features a 42-millimeter case coated in black carbon powder, black dial and purple accents, supposedly in compliment of Infiniti's brand color. (News to us.) Each example will be individually numbered and fetches a princely sum of £2,809.97 in the UK, equivalent to $4,145. Details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Bell & Ross BR03-92 Instrument Phantom Infiniti

[Source: Infiniti]

Continue reading Infiniti teams up with Bell & Ross on limited edition wristwatch for the jet set

Infiniti teams up with Bell & Ross on limited edition wristwatch for the jet set originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 May 2010 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus, Infiniti reportedly not interested in taking on BMW's 5 Series Gran Turismo

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, Crossover, Hatchback, Acura, BMW, Infiniti, Lexus, Design/Style, Luxury

BMW 535i Gran Turismo - Click above for high-res image gallery

Depending on who you ask, BMW is either at the forefront of an exciting new automotive genre with the 5 Series Gran Turismo, or is inventing market segments with no real purpose other than to grab several thousand new sales from those who simply must be seen in the latest trendy niche. In other words, the 5 Series GT is nothing if not polarizing.

For now, it seems that you can put such luxury brands Lexus and Infiniti in the latter camp, though fellow upmarket Japanese automaker Acura is headed down a similar path as its German counterpart with the new ZDX - at least with regard to the X6. Speaking to Auto Observer at the New York Auto Show, Ben Poore, Nissan North America's vice president of the Infiniti business unit, said, "What [we are] seeing is a much stronger preference (among consumers) for a trunk."

Granted, some may see little difference between such vehicles as the 5 Series GT and Infiniti's own EX and FX crossovers, but Poore suggests the machines aren't direct competitors. "I'd rather be on (either) the crossover styling or the trunk styling," he said. Dave Nordstrom, Lexus' vice president of marketing, concurs, saying, "We don't have any plans for it right now. We have not seen the demand from our customers - but we continue to look at it."

As for us? Well, you can read all about our initial impressions of the 5 Series GT by looking back at our First Drive. Suffice it to say, our own office is split on the effectiveness of this new giant hatchback trend just like everyone else.

Gallery: First Drive: BMW 535i Gran Turismo

[Source: Auto Observer]

Lexus, Infiniti reportedly not interested in taking on BMW's 5 Series Gran Turismo originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How the Other Half Drives: Infiniti launches FX Limited Edition in Europe

Noah Joseph — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Crossover, Infiniti, UK, Luxury

2010 Infiniti FX Limited Edition - Click above for high-res image gallery

Miffed at having missed out on the Infiniti FX Millionaire Edition? The special run was unveiled in Amsterdam a couple of months back at a price roughly twice that of a stock FX. Only 100 were made, and they weren't even available on this side of the pond. Now Infiniti's European division is following up with a second run called, straight-forward enough, the Limited Edition.

Like the Millionaire, the Limited can be ordered in either FX37 or FX50 guise, in scratch-resistant Obsidian Black or White Moonlight paint and features a host of special touches inside and out, from the dark graphite trim and 21-inch turbine-shaped rims to the Alcantara and carbon fiber trim on the interior. The special crossover also comes packed with the Connectiviti+ package, packing everything from sat-nav with Michelin Guide to the 11-speaker Bose sound system and 10-gig hard drive.

Fortunately prices are considerably more reasonable than its predecessor special, with the FX37S Limited Edition coming in at £55,855 (the equivalent of about $88k) and the FX50S Limited Edition at £62,035 (just shy of a hundred grand). Another 100 examples will be offered exclusively across Western Europe. High-res images in the gallery below and press release below the fold.

Gallery: 2010 Infiniti FX Limited Edition

[Source: Infiniti]

Continue reading How the Other Half Drives: Infiniti launches FX Limited Edition in Europe

How the Other Half Drives: Infiniti launches FX Limited Edition in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infiniti prepares special FX Millionaire Edition exclusively for Europe

Noah Joseph — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Europe, Crossover, Infiniti, Misc. Auto Shows, Luxury

Kudos to Infiniti. With seemingly every special edition model being blinged-up and chrome frosted inside and out, you'd figure something called the Millionaire Edition would be the most ostentatious thing on four wheels. But Nissan's luxury division has taken an entirely more understated approach with the 2010 Infiniti FX Millionaire Edition.

Instead of chrome or gold plating, the FX Millionaire gets dark graphite trim on the exterior, including the grille, air dam, 21-inch wheels and roof rails - as well as the window surrounds, from the look of it - complementing the Obsidian Black or White Moonlight paint schemes. Inside, it's all Alcantara micro-suede with brown stitching offset by carbon fiber, plus all the advanced features from the catalog, including sat-nav, Infiniti's excellent Around View Monitor system and Bose audio.

The package is available on either the FX37 or FX50, but only in Europe, with no more than 100 examples to be built. Equipped with the 390-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8, the FX50 Millionaire Edition sells in the price-inflated UK market for a princely €95,450 - about $144k in 'merican greenbacks, or more than twice the base price for us non-millionaires. On second thought, maybe we'll save those kudos for another time. The FX Millionaire Edition is being unveiled next week, appropriately enough, at Amsterdam's Millionaire Fair.

[Source: AutoWeek.nl]

Infiniti prepares special FX Millionaire Edition exclusively for Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Acura's new BMW X6 fighter spotted again!

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:56:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Acura

The last time that we saw this vehicle, it was caught circulating the Nürburgring wearing a lot more camo than this example, and it's widely believed to be a new crossover from Acura. So far, Acura hasn't actually given any public indication that this machine even exists or is planned. Nonetheless, it's wearing all the contemporary Acura styling cues and the Nürburgring pics clearly showed the shield grille through the camo.

This particular example was snapped by an alert AB reader while it was evidently conducting cold weather testing in Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada. Judging by the reduced amount of camouflage on this unit, it's probably getting close to a public launch, and we're guessing that with its pronounced slope-back, it will have BMW's controversial X6 and Infiniti's FX softroader squarely in its sights. Thanks to Jeff for the awesome tip!

Spy Shots: Acura's new BMW X6 fighter spotted again! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD

Michael Harley — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Crossover, Infiniti, New Car Reviews, Luxury, Off-Road

Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD

Infiniti's FX first arrived on the scene in 2003. At the time, it looked like something transported into the showroom directly from the auto show concept car turntable. While other manufacturers were delivering boxy SUVs, Infiniti presented the world a futuristic four-door crossover that was available in vibrant "Liquid Copper" paint. Even in bland white, the FX turned every head on the road - and rightfully so. Now in its second-generation, the all-new 2009 FX arrives with a more powerful 5.0-liter V8, a new 7-speed automatic and a mouthful of electronic driving aids that are sure to stump even the team at Engadget. Is the all-new FX a worthy replacement to its predecessor? Has it turned soft to please the luxury crowd? What's up with all of that gadgetry? Find out after the jump.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Infiniti FX50

Continue reading Review: 2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD

Review: 2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infiniti announces the FX35... still not the FX37

Michael Harley — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, SUV, Japan, Infiniti

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Infiniti FX

It is official. The all-new 2009 FX50 will not share the showroom floor with a rumored "FX37." Instead, Infiniti has chosen to keep the less-powerful sibling designated as the "FX35." That means the engine is the award-winning VQ35HR right out of the Infiniti G35 sedan -- not the sweet 3.7-liter 330-hp gem from the G37 Coupe. Under the hood of the FX, the slightly smaller six-cylinder is rated at 303 hp (down just a few horses from the sedan's rating of 306 hp). The 3.5-liter 24-valve DOHC V6 will be mated to a standard 7-speed automatic with Nissan's Adaptive Shift Control (those trick magnesium paddle shifters are optional).

Like the outgoing FX35 it replaces, the 2009 model will be available in two versions: FX35 and FX35 AWD. The all-wheel-drive model is equipped with Nissan's ATTESA E-TS (Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All Electronic Torque Split) AWD system, which is standard on the FX50. According to Infiniti, the new 2009 FX goes on sale at Infiniti dealers in the United States and Canada beginning in June 2008. Thanks for the heads-up Brad!

Gallery: 2009 Infiniti FX50

[Source: Nissan North America]

Continue reading Infiniti announces the FX35... still not the FX37

Infiniti announces the FX35... still not the FX37 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: 2009 Infiniti FX makes after hours debut in Geneva

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:10:00 EST

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Crossover, Infiniti

Click above image for a high-res gallery of the unveiling of the 2009 FX from Geneva

Last week we showed you a teaser shot of the headlight of the all-new 2009 Infiniti FX. Tonight in Geneva we saw the whole thing. Carlos Ghosn himself introduced the new FX at a club-like venue just down the road from the Palexpo. Accompanied by some choreographed theatrics, the new FX dropped from the ceiling and landed front and center ahead of its EX37 and G37 siblings, which will join it in the new Infiniti dealerships starting up in Europe this year.

The redesigned 2009 FX will come in three different flavors, topping out with the FX50 we saw here. As the name tells us, it features a new 5.0L V8, said to be good for 390HP and more than 500nM of torque. Fairly stout numbers compared to the outgoing 4.5. The 2009 FX should start appearing at North American Infiniti dealers by June. You can read about the rest of the changes to this fairly highly anticipated CUV in the press release after the jump, but we think the photos in the gallery will tell more of the story. Personally we'd be remiss if we didn't note that although most of the changes sound great, the second-gen FX doesn't improve on the previous generation in the styling department.

Press release after the jump. And we should also mention the new microsite that many of you have tipped us about, which is available by clicking here.

Gallery: 2009 Infiniti FX50

Continue reading BREAKING: 2009 Infiniti FX makes after hours debut in Geneva

BREAKING: 2009 Infiniti FX makes after hours debut in Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not quite official: Infiniti dealer posts FX teaser online

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:17:00 EST

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Crossover, Infiniti

A certain sales manager from a certain dealership in Long Island was kind enough to take a little bit of the wind out of Infiniti's sails ahead of its unveiling of the redesigned FX CUV. The detailed headlamp shot above was posted on an Infiniti FX forum (who knew?), and pretty much confirms the styling tweaks the new fascia will get, particularly when you imagine it on the set of spy shots we've seen already. The only thing that's left to the imagination is the reconfigured rear end, which will likely sport some new tail lamps and a redesigned bumper. We'd be remiss not to point out that it's not in the dealer's best interest to include his name and contact information in his forum signature, lest Infiniti's corporate communications folks come calling.

Thanks for the tip Jonathan.

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2009 Infiniti FX

[Source: InfinitiFX.org]

Not quite official: Infiniti dealer posts FX teaser online originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infiniti to put new kind of hybrid in FX

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:15:00 EST

One of the knocks against hybrids is that they're best around town, but once you get on the highway, it's back to full-time fossil fuels. Nissan is developing its own hybrid tech that it plans to launch in the Infiniti FX, in which the electric component will assist the engine at highway speeds as well, not just around town.

We don't know how close, if at all, it will be to the hybrid system in the Porsche Cayenne -- that (as-yet-untested) one can run the vehicle entirely on electric power at 75 MPH. Nissan's offering is slated to arrive some time in the next decade, presumably in the next generation FX. When it does, that will put at least four different types of major manufacturer hybrids on the roads, making their way through streets also littered with clean diesels. When we get that kind of concentration, the shakeout will really begin to decide who'll win the altpower war.

[Source: Channel 4]

Infiniti to put new kind of hybrid in FX originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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