2009 Infiniti FX
This year’s Geneva auto show marks the first time that Infiniti will unveil a brand-new product outside the United States, with the Swiss exhibition hosting the reveal of the all-new 2009 Infiniti FX crossover.
Infiniti also is using the occasion to herald the launch of the luxury brand in Western Europe—starting in October—part of a multi-year global rollout.
However, it was in the U.S., on the brand’s original and primary sales turf, that our spies caught a lightly camouflaged FX parked on the streets of Los Angeles.
Built on the prodigious FM platform—which also underpins the Nissan 350Z, Infiniti G sedan and coupe, Infiniti EX35 crossover, and Infiniti M sedan—the second-generation FX appears as if it will remain a five-seater and continue to wear rakish styling.
The headlamps look much faster, cutting back into a point along the fender, and the hood has gained more pronounced bulges. The grille is wider and shorter, which should serve to visually reduce front-end height. At the rear, the non-glass portion of the liftgate is less curved and more upright, much like that of the smaller EX35.
We also expect a properly luxurious interior if the FX expects to remain a rung above the new Nissan Murano, which has soft-touch materials throughout its new cabin.
We expect the powertrains to mirror those currently available—that is to say a V-6 and a V-8. It’s unknown at this point whether the V-6 will jump in displacement from 3.5 liters to, say, 3.7. If it does stay with the 3.5, it still gains a power upgrade as the VQ engine has been tweaked.
V-6 models will probably continue to be available with rear- or all-wheel drive, with the top-dog V-8–powered FX offering all-wheel drive as standard.
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