The Infiniti brand appeared on the Russian market three years ago along with the FX family of SUVs. The sporty look combined with high ground clearance and 20-inch wheels immediately found its fans—people were ready to pay from 80 thousand dollars for such cars.
True, at that time Infiniti were officially sold only in the USA and Canada, so solvent demand here was met by "gray" dealers who offer no warranty and set prices as they please. Seeing success in developing countries and observing the excellent sales of the main competitor—Lexus, the head of the Renault-Nissan alliance, Carlos Ghosn, decided to make Infiniti a global brand and expand its geography beyond America.
The Russian market was considered promising, so the brand was introduced here earlier than in Western Europe, offering M-series sedans and FX SUVs. With the FX, everything is clear—it has already become familiar on the roads. But the M35 is a newcomer that will have to battle the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class, and Lexus GS. Does Infiniti have a chance in this fight? To find out, we took an all-wheel-drive M35 in the Elite trim.
The aggressive front end is perhaps the main trump card of the "M". The powerful grille hints at the prestigious FX, but the rear of the sedan doesn't surprise: the profile is ordinary, the tail is a bit boring. Owners of the Nissan Teana will be pleased to think that their twice-as-cheap sedan looks like an Infiniti, but for our hero, this is rather a minus.
The massive doors close solidly with a pleasant thud, cutting off the noise of the city. However, it's unclear why the cabin greets you with the pungent smell of new plastic. Such an "aroma" would be forgivable for a Hyundai Getz, but in an Infiniti at this price, it seems strange.
After airing the car through the window, you can look around. The first thing that catches your eye is the massive wooden inserts on the console and dashboard. There's no doubt that this is real wood, not cheap imitation. The luxury is complemented by beige seats, yellow instrument lighting, elegant analog clock, and a chunky steering wheel that is a bit large by modern standards. The front seats are comfortable with a huge range of adjustments, and the steering column also has electric adjustment.
The impression is spoiled only by small details unified with junior Nissan models. And some options, like folding mirrors, which are even on cheap cars, are absent here. Perhaps it's thanks to such savings that the Renault-Nissan alliance is now the most profitable automaker in the world. But if you don't nitpick, the Infiniti's interior is done with American flair, yet you can feel Japanese quality. It doesn't reach German perfectionism, but it promises to be reliable and comfortable.
Rear passengers have access to electric heating, a separate climate control unit, and audio system controls—all gathered in the folding central armrest. This clearly hints that the car is designed for four: the massive tunnel on the floor doesn't contribute to the comfort of the middle passenger. But two in the back will be at ease, especially if you slide the front passenger seat all the way forward.
The 3.5-liter engine is familiar from many models of the concern—from the Nissan 350Z sport coupe to the Infiniti FX35 SUV. And each time it impresses with its thrust and ease of revving to high RPMs. The all-wheel-drive sedan weighing almost two tons can't be turned into a sports projectile, but blaming the M35 for weak dynamics would be a sin. On the highway, the Infiniti calmly holds 160–180 km/h and accelerates to 200 km/h without strain. Further—with visible and audible effort—the needle reaches 220 km/h. What the actual speed is then is hard to say, since the official data for the all-wheel-drive version is 206 km/h.
The automatic is tuned sportily: gears are close together, which causes an intrusive engine hum in the cabin at speeds above 150 km/h. But in manual mode, the gearbox honestly holds the selected gear and doesn't shift up even at the redline.
It seems that when tuning the ride qualities, the engineers never decided what was more important—sportiness or comfort. As a result, the M35 turned out moderately comfortable and moderately manageable: without obvious failures, but also without stars from the sky. The car precisely follows the driver's commands, but it doesn't bring pleasure. In a sharp turn, the Infiniti clings to the corner until the last moment, and when the tires give up, it smoothly slides outward with the front. The electronics nip active driving in the bud, but if you find the button under the steering wheel to disable the "collar," you can have a bit of fun and delight your vestibular apparatus with lateral accelerations.
Those who don't chase driving excitement should look at the handling differently. The well-damped steering wheel barely transmits vibrations from broken roads, and the high ground clearance combined with all-wheel drive make the sedan ideal for long business trips.
In the Infiniti, you can discern the makings of both a sport coupe and a executive sedan, but neither is brought even to a clearly expressed intention—as if the developers never decided on the target audience. Personally, such a car is uninteresting to me: for this money, you can get a Lexus RX350 or a less powerful but more cohesive Audi A6—they have both form and content.
In my opinion, the M35 is better left to a chauffeur. The aggressive appearance and comfortable rear sofa (where else can you find an all-wheel-drive sedan with electric rear seat adjustments for 70 thousand dollars) will come in handy—you meet people by their clothes, and see off the owner, not the car. Prices for the Infiniti M35 Premium start at 64,900 dollars for the rear-wheel-drive version with an automatic, cruise control, 8-channel Bose audio system with CD changer, leather seats with electric adjustments, memory, heating and ventilation, rearview camera, climate control, sunroof, xenon, and chip key. All-wheel drive costs 3,000 dollars more. The Elite package is aimed at rear passengers and adds 1,200 dollars to the price: for that, you get heating and electric drive for the rear seats, separate climate control, and a remote for those sitting in the back. If the 3.5-liter engine isn't enough, there's the M45 version with a 339 hp engine for 78,900 dollars, but it's only rear-wheel drive. And for those who aren't ready to part with the steering wheel and are looking for a powerful sports sedan in the business class, there's the top Sport version for 79,900 dollars: 19-inch wheels, sport suspension, seats with developed lateral support, and the electronic Rear Active Steer system that steers the rear wheels and improves handling.