Infiniti Europe has announced that the dramatic V8-powered Infiniti FX50, revealed at the recent Geneva Motor Show, will be joined at launch by a V6 version with 320PS to be called FX37. The FX37 blends sports car performance with SUV practicality to complete Infiniti’s range of luxury saloon, coupe and crossover models. It will go on sale across Europe together with the G37 Saloon, G37 Coupe, EX37 and FX50 starting from October 2008.
FX37 at a glance
• Fusion of sports car and SUV
• Potent Euro 5 compliant 320PS 3.7-litre V6
• Engine incorporates VVEL technology for improved fuel economy and lower emissions
• Advanced seven-speed automatic with paddle shifts
• Intelligent four-wheel drive
• Active Continuous Damping Control
• Standard 20” wheels: optional Sport pack includes 21” upgrade
• Advanced features including Around View Monitor
FX37 in detail
A genuine fusion of sports car and SUV, the FX37’s dramatic styling – shared with the FX50 – sets it apart from the crowd. Built on Infiniti’s FM (front-midships) platform, the FX37 blends sports car proportions with the character of a 4x4. That means a long bonnet and wheelbase, short overhangs and a coupé-like roofline, with the stance and strength of an SUV.
Engine
The Infiniti FX37 is powered by the 3.7-litre V6 petrol engine delivering 320PS at 7,000 rpm and a healthy 360Nm of torque (comparable figures for the V8 FX50 are 390PS and 500Nm).
A member of the multi-award winning VQ engine family, the all-aluminium 24-valve twin cam unit features a bed-plate construction. A technique that has been used in motor racing for many years, the resulting two-part construction of the cylinder block is more rigid than a single piece casting.
It is a configuration that signifies a high-performance sporting engine designed for the highest strength and reliability. Other benefits include reduced vibration levels and higher engine speeds to be reached consistently without damage.
The engine, which is fully Euro 5 compliant, incorporates VVEL (Variable Valve Event and Lift) technology to optimise efficiency and, in turn, the balance between power, response, fuel efficiency and emissions. VVEL continually alters valve lift and therefore the quantity of air in the combustion chamber. The result is a more powerful combustion phase increasing torque and power.
Precise mapping of the ECU, meanwhile, helps the engine provide a progressive ‘swell’ of power and torque, providing a ‘building wave’ of acceleration rather than a peaky power delivery.
FX37 comes with a new seven-speed automatic transmission with Adaptive Shift Control (ASC) as standard providing a wider spread of transmission ratios for improved fuel consumption and drivability. The seventh speed is effectively an overdrive ratio, returning improved fuel economy on a steady throttle without compromising in-gear flexibility for overtaking.
Shift points are tuned to keep the engine in the largest part of the torque curve, ensuring there is always a healthy reserve when the driver wants to overtake. The linked ASC system switches between three different programs depending on input from the major control systems throughout the car. Manual shifts can be made via paddle shifts mounted behind the steering wheel.
