Something truly special
Most people in South Africa associate luxury vehicles with the three German manufacturers that dominate this market sector. However, I’ve recently become a fan of the latest offerings from Japan. This move was spearheaded by Toyota with Lexus now fairly established in the country but Nissan’s new Infiniti brand is no less impressive.
I had the pleasure of testing Infiniti’s new EX37 for a week.
This striking vehicle with its flowing lines presents a classy yet sporty option to the very popular luxury crossover SUV market. The styling is different to say an Audi Q5 or BMW X5 and, with its tapered rear end reminded me more of Range Rover’s Evoque than anything else. Quite frankly, I loved its coupe-like appearance which was as refreshing as it was different.
The unique style differences are also very apparent in the interior. The passenger footwell curves away from you, allowing a massive amount of legroom. Our model also sported eye catching chocolate brown and black leather upholstery complemented by hand-stained maple wood and aluminium inserts. The driving display is bold and the full colour multimedia system is intuitive – a simple dial assists with selection.
What I especially love about the EX37 is that much of what I was presented with in the test vehicle comes standard. You aren’t paying thousands more on the purchase price in extras. It’s something to really consider as a buyer. Standard equipment includes Bluetooth, speed sensitive power steering assistance, rain sensor windscreen wipers, front and rear parking sensors with a rear camera display, Xenon lights with an adaptive front lighting system, LED rear lights, an auto-dim rear-view mirror, dual-adaptive climate control, follow me home lights, multi-function steering wheel and multi-way adjustable front seats.
Our test car also came with one of the options – an 11 speaker Bose sound system and I can definitely recommend this option if you like your tunes as much as I do!
The EX37 is comfortable and spacious, although I found it hard to see how 3 people could be accommodated on the back seat – it’s better suited to accommodating two in great comfort as the middle place is raised a little too high and very hard and narrow.
The drive is comfortable and the steering feels direct. I appreciated the response time and the handling. The steering is light and the vehicle is very manoeuvrable, something that I really enjoyed as a commuter. The boot offers adequate space for luggage and comes with a convenient cargo net as well as first aid kit.
However, it’s the driving and performance of the EX37 that really grabbed my attention. Infiniti has made use of Nissan’s popular 370Z 3.7litre V6 engine in the EX37 and this plucky engine lends an exciting sportiness to this SUV. No boring school runs for this driver.
…a high revving, noisy type of ride that really holds appeal to the girl racer in me…
The power and response from this engine impressed me no end at higher revs – It packs a hefty 235kW at 7000 revs and 360Nm in torque at 5200 revs. So it’s a high revving, noisy type of ride that really holds appeal to the girl racer in me, but may be the one factor that detracts from its appeal for your average luxury SUV purchaser.
This all wheel drive SUV has a top speed of 240km/h and gets from 0-100km in a nippy 6.4s (we tested 6.2s). Transitions through the 7-speed automatic transmission were smooth and the driver-adaptive system quickly picks up and adjusts to your driving style providing tailored gear shifts just the way you like them!
Starting at N$626,000, the Infiniti EX37 takes a lot of beating but add to this Infiniti’s exceptional level of customer care and service as well as 24/7 roadside assistance and a generous 100 000km or 3 years comprehensive warranty and 100 000km or 5 years maintenance plan and you have something truly special on offer in the luxury SUV sector.
Gallery
Performance
0-10km/h: 0.5s
0-20km/h: 1.0s
0-30km/h: 1.5s
0-40km/h: 2.0s
0-50km/h: 2.5s
0-60km/h: 3.1s
0-70km/h: 3.6s
0-80km/h: 4.3s
0-90km/h: 5.0s
0-100km/h: 6.2s
0-110km/h: 7.7s
0-120km/h: 8.9s
0-130km/h: 9.6s
0-140km/h: 11.5s
0-100m: 5.8s / 97.3km/h
0-200m: 9.0s / 121.2km/h
0-300m: 11.6s / 140.9km/h
0-400m: 14.0 / 153.6km/h
0-60mph: 5.7s
1/4mile: 14.0s @ 95.6mph (153.8km/h)
=====ADDITIONAL NOTES=====
Temp 23C
Climate Sunny, mild
Altitude 22m
Road Dry tarmac, level
Occupants Driver, no passengers
Fuel level 1/4