Infiniti, the luxury car division of Nissan, has announced pricing and details of its new model which will challenge the Audi A6, BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
The M37 is available now with prices starting at £35,150 for the all-petrol engine line-up. This places it in between equivalent models from rivals, with an Audi A6 2.8 FSI priced from £32,835, a BMW 528i SE from £33,040 and a Mercedes-Benz E350 CGI Avantgarde from £38,310.
In contrast to the approach taken by the German brands, Infiniti offers even entry-level M saloons with plenty of standard equipment, including seven-speed automatic gearbox, bi-xenon headlights, electric front seats, reversing camera and a hard disk drive sound system.
Power comes from a 3.7-litre V6 engine producing 316bhp. Fuel economy is a claimed average of 27mpg while CO2 emissions of 235g/km put it in the maximum 35% company car tax band.
However, company car drivers will be able to buy a diesel-engined version in October. The M30d will be powered by a 238bhp V6 diesel. No performance or economy figures are available yet, but expect it to easily undercut the economy and emissions performance of the petrol.
Another new addition to the range will be the M35 Hybrid next spring. This uses the 3.7-litre V6 petrol engine allied to a 68bhp electric motor. The hybrid will also be able to drive solely on electric power, meaning no exhaust emissions. Again, further details have yet to be released.
