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CAP Blog > CAP Blog > Martin's Blog
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Aug
26
Written by:
Martin Ward
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
 We have had a few Infiniti models recently, all from the Infiniti centre in Paris. All were French registered and all left hand drive. They came from Paris because this is where the closest dealer is to us until the first one in the UK in Reading opens in a few weeks.
Infiniti is the luxury arm of Nissan and so is part of the Renault/Nissan alliance. The Infiniti brand is not sold in Japan but recently the Infiniti EX SUV has been re-branded and re-named as the Nissan Skyline crossover and this will be sold in Japan. Infiniti’s biggest market is North America where large engine petrol cars with low MPG still sell extraordinarily well. This is maybe due to the fact that a gallon of petrol costs around £2.
 The G37 coupe joins a select band of premium coupe models, with just a handful in this sector. The main ones are: BMW 3 Series coupe, Audi A5 coupe, Mercedes-Benz CLK and the new E Class coupe. The Infiniti G37 coupe can however, also be likened to its slightly smaller sister, the Nissan 370Z. This car only has two seats but it does share the same engine and no doubt plenty of under the skin technology. With the Audi, BMW and Mercedes, there is room in the rear for two adults and if you are the same size as me, your head would just about clear the roof lining. In the Infiniti my head didn’t touch the roof; it pressed against the rear window. The roof line is so sloping that when you are sat in the rear of the car, it is impossible to get comfortable and on a long journey, any adult would probably find to be almost impossible. It would however, be bearable in the German competitors.
 There are other coupe models on the market; cars such as the Peugeot 407 and Renault Laguna coupe that do offer good styling and offer a much larger choice of engines at much lower cost. Both are great looking cars, are reasonably priced and have a good diesel engine available in both. The only engine available in the Infiniti is the 3.7 litre V6 320hp petrol engine. It is a relatively thirsty engine and was impossible to get an accurate mpg figure, as the car did not have a trip computer. The car we tested had a six speed manual gearbox and although it was light and easy to use, it was a bit clunky and noisy and was not as smooth as its nearest competitors.
Out of the few Infiniti models we have driven recently, the coupe was really the only one that drew any attention; the others did not turn an eye. When neighbours or friends asked what it was, I told them it was an Infiniti. The usual response was ‘a what?’ and then the inevitable question of ‘who makes those?’ Infiniti was the stock answer but who makes Infiniti? The real answer is Nissan, with Infiniti being what Lexus is to Toyota: the more premium brand in the family. Although there is nothing wrong at all with Nissan, this is the challenge that owners are going to have to contend with and they will get asked. It may be just easier to stick with the regular German brands.
 The interior is good but does not contain the ‘wow’ factor. It is obviously well put together but probably no better than many other makes of car. Some of the plastics let it down, especially those around the gear shift and handbrake lever, although the dash is much better and nice and soft to the touch. To add more space to a fairly small boot, the rear seats can fold down, allowing more luggage or shopping to be carried if only one or two people are in the car. It is strictly a four seater with only two seat belts in the rear.
There are three models in the G37 coupe range: the G37 coupe which costs £31,950, the G37 GT coupe at £33,250 and the G37S coupe at £35,150.
This coupe will be an exclusive car, with very few around on the UK roads. There will eventually just be a dozen or so dealers up and down the country so be very surprised if you actually see one of these cars on the roads. Infiniti say the level of customer satisfaction and the way they are treated by those few dealers will be very high. They are aiming be the best in the business for all round level of service.
If you want a fairly average coupe that does not offer any more than its main competitors, with the exception of exclusivity and only want a large V6 petrol engine, then the Infiniti G37 coupe is the one to go for.
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