You cannot get away from the fact that modern-day SUVs are more about style than substance, so it’s refreshing that the Infiniti FX50 doesn’t pretend otherwise, but in fact openly espouses this idea and takes it to its logical conclusion.
Thus, even though it’s got all-wheel drive, the Infiniti FX50 makes no overtures at mud-plugging. No locking diffs, hill descent control or off-road mode – just an unabashed, style-focused philosophy.
Acres of soft leather and a variety of gadgets programmed for your comfort mean this is no ordinary SUV from Nissan’s Tochigi factory.
Infiniti’s press material describes this car as a coupe-SUV, and that’s fairly accurate. The flagship 5-litre V8 Infiniti FX50 tested here sits high on enormous 21-inch rims (the V6-engined FX37 makes do with “mere” 20-inchers), but planted atop that butch platform is a body that’s surprisingly car-like.
There are voluptuous curves in the bonnet, front wings and gently distended fenders, adding “visual muscle” and setting the FX apart from the blockhouse-on-wheels look of most other big SUVs.
Not quite a limited edition Bell & Ross wristwatch, but Infiniti’s dashboard clock is attractive and beats a generic digital display anytime.
That long, extravagant front end alone seemingly accounts for almost half the car’s length. And the drawn-back, sneering headlights and massive chrome-edged grille make the FX unmistakable in traffic. It’s quite a head-turner.
That curvy shape entails compromises, though. The Infiniti FX50 is pretty spacious as a five-seater, with excellent space for heads and shoulders, legroom akin to a large executive saloon, plus reclining rear seats. But some similarly sized SUVs, like the Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Volvo XC90, are practical seven-seaters, while others such as the Porsche Cayenne have sliding rear seats which liberate limo-like rear accommodation.
Infiniti FX50’s striking white-and-violet electro-luminescent instrument array monitors seven crucial functions and offers no less than 20 different information screens.
The boot is surprisingly modest, too – not especially long, and hampered by a high floor (necessitated by the full-size spare tyre residing beneath). This is mitigated by the brilliant ease with which the rear seats can be folded to extend the cargo area, via two quick-release levers in the boot.
If the Infiniti FX50 is clearly not intended as a people-carrier, utility-type vehicle, it is certainly meant as a luxury ride. On the equipment front at least, it fits the bill – you’d be hard-pressed to name a feature that the FX lacks.
Keyless entry allows you access without your having to fish around for the key, and once inside you’re treated to a 14-way adjustable driver’s seat (including extendable thigh support and adjustable side bolsters), air-conditioning that extends to the front squabs, an expansive glass sunroof, an 11-speaker Bose sound system, 10GB hard disk storage, voice-activated radio and sat-nav controls, and the softest, most deliciously fine-grained leather wrapping the seats and door panels.
In contrast, the doortops and dashboard sport some fairly hard plastics, and some of the switchgear and little things like the rear air vents are still fairly low-rent and do betray the car’s Nissan roots somewhat.
Infiniti FX50’s AVM (Around View Monitor) parking aid employs four cameras at the front, rear and either side of the FX to display a virtual image “from above”.
As is the norm with every new range-topping model launched these days, the Infiniti FX50 comes laden with the latest electro-gadgetry to pander to the driver with no eyes, ears or brain – rain-sensing wipers, 360-degree parking cameras, intelligent cruise control, lane departure alert, collision warning, distance control, tyre pressure sensors, etc. It’s almost impossible to get into a prang in this car, no matter how hard you’re driving.
And the FX50 does encourage enthusiastic driving. Stab the starter button and the big V8 awakes with a sharp snarl before settling to a purposeful purr. Nudge the stubby, satisfyingly short-throw gear lever into D and start moving, and immediately the engine’s huge reserves of torque are obvious.
Each of the Infiniti FX50’s 7-speed transmission paddles is made of metal, trimmed with leather and has a positive action.
Take-off is so keen that it’s actually tricky to ease away smoothly, and there are gobs of urge ready to be unleashed at a tickle of throttle, whatever the revs. Give the throttle more than a tickle, and acceleration is almost incongruously quick for something so bulky.
That 5-litre V8 belts out 390bhp and 500Nm, and takes the hulking 2.1-tonne FX to 100km/h in a claimed 5.8 seconds. You need a manual 370Z to match this kind of pick-up.
Infiniti FX50 is equipped with Continuous Damping Control (CDC), which offers two-mode adjustment of the ride, with Auto an effective all-rounder.
Seriously quick it may be, yet the best thing about the FX50 is not its sheer pace but that delightful engine note. On the move it serenades with a purposeful, velvety warble at low-to-medium revs, and as you approach the 6750rpm redline it turns angry, snarling its way to the next upshift.
The noise is pronounced, deliberately so and certainly more audible than the under-bonnet soundtrack in most other luxury SUVs. But it’s such a melodious reminder of what that big powerplant can do, that it’s never unwelcome.
Plenty of room here for three-abreast seating, and plush leather to keep everybody happy.
The steering wheel is small and sporty, and if you feel like taking charge of gearchange duties, the 7-speed autobox has steering-mounted magnesium paddle-shifters, elegantly curved and cool to the touch. But the paddles are also noteworthy for their higher-than-normal resistance, requiring a concerted tug.
The Infiniti FX50 is in good company here, because the McLaren MP4-12C supercar was initially criticised for the same thing. McLaren has since rectified the issue, let’s hope Infiniti does likewise. The gearchanges themselves are fast and seamless, with upchanges and downchanges alike slurred to perfection.
The exact route by which all that power and torque arrive at the road varies, and is subject to the respective grip status of each wheel – in normal driving, up to 100 percent of drive goes to the rear wheels, and together with a limited-slip differential, the setup is tuned to allow a degree of oversteer, which is remarkable for an SUV.
In fact, the FX’s ATTESA all-wheel drive system is shared with the all-conquering Nissan GT-R – that tells you all you need to know about how far removed this newcomer is from the usual SUV genre. The FX50 even has rear-wheel steer (something the FX37 does without) – the rear tyres turning up to one degree in sympathy with the fronts, for quicker direction changes and more stable high-speed manoeuvres.
Infiniti FX50 has a useful boot capacity of 410 litres, expandable by folding down both sides of the backrest, which return to their upright position at the touch of a button.
As a consequence, the FX50 steers more sharply than most SUVs. Turn-in is quick, akin to that of a decent mid-sized saloon, and body roll is very well-contained despite the car’s high-riding stance. The steering system is well-weighted and consistent, although somewhat short of feel.
Despite the immense tyres (265/45 R21), grip levels are not great – given the hefty 2.1-tonne body, the laws of physics must eventually prevail. However, chassis behaviour is consistent and predictable, the car neither lurching into terminal understeer or armfuls of oversteer at the limit. You’re always aware of the FX50’s size and weight, but it somehow never feels ponderous.
This 5-litre V8 powerhouse is exclusive to the Infiniti FX50 and not used in any Nissan model – even the palatial President makes do with a 4.5 V8.
The dampers have a Sport mode (activated by a switch on the centre console), which firms things up a tad and affords some added handling sharpness, but Auto mode is more than sufficient for most occasions.
To some extent, the ride quality suffers from that handling-biased chassis. Even with the dampers in Auto mode, progress is a bit brittle over surface imperfections (usually an SUV forte), although this may be the consequence of those super-sized wheels rather than stiff springing. There’s also too much dive under braking and over speed humps and sharper undulations, but over lower-frequency bumps things are much better, the FX traversing these with a calm authority.
If this machine fills your rear view mirror, moving aside is advisable – unless you drive something like a turbocharged V8 BMW X6.
For a contender in the flagship sector, the FX is not ultra-hushed on the go. It’s a relaxed cruiser, with the engine ticking over at 1900rpm in seventh gear at 100km/h, but there’s a noticeable amount of road noise – more than you’d find in, say, the Nissan Teana. Again, those epic tyres may be the culprit. Good thing then we have that pleasant, ever-present V8 note, which dominates the aural experience to such an extent that you notice little else.
Headlining Infiniti’s ambitious re-entry into the Singapore market, it’s critical that the FX50 makes an impression. With its showcar looks, storming performance and addictive V8 soundtrack, we have to say that it’s definitely well-equipped to do so.
Infiniti FX50 5.0 (A)
ENGINE 5026cc, 32-valves, V8
MAX POWER 390hp at 6500rpm
MAX TORQUE 500Nm at 4400rpm
POWER TO WEIGHT 184hp per tonne
GEARBOX 7-speed automatic with manual select
0-100km/h 5.8 seconds
TOP SPEED 250km/h (governed)
CONSUMPTION 7.6km/L (combined)
Infiniti QX50 is a luxury crossover with world-first technologies
