First Look: Infiniti EX30d

This crossover promises to raise the bar for diesel engine refinement and vehicle safety as well as delivering Infiniti’s greenest environmental performance to date.

The EX30d also brings a new high-value proposition to the market thanks to prices, announced today, that are lower than the petrol-fuelled equivalent. On sale from early July, the EX diesel models are expected to account for eight out of every 10 EX sales.

At the top of the line-up is a new GT Premium version equipped as standard with a suite of innovative safety technology, some of it only just made available for the first time on any Infiniti in Europe. The package includes features that return the car to its correct lane on the motorway and give the driver warning of impending collisions – features that some companies do not offer at any price.

Despite more engine torque than even Infiniti’s potent petrol V8, and a breathtaking open-road performance as a result, the EX30d delivers more miles per gallon and emits less CO2 than the petrol EX models – and all with no dilution of the sporting coupé style and sheer driver appeal for which the EX is already known.

The piezo-injection 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine providing such exceptional breadth of capability has been developed to meet Infiniti’s uncompromising requirements. With 238 PS (235 bhp), Infiniti’s first-ever diesel engine is a match for any single-turbo diesel in the class. Its massive torque output is class best, guaranteeing performance as effortless as it is muscular.

Uniquely, the V6 features a compacted graphite iron (CGI) block – a weight-saving solution that also provides one of the EX30d’s greatest strengths – its refinement. The focus of a massive engineering effort, the V6 sets a new benchmark among diesel engines in its class for low noise and vibration. It has even been tuned to sound like a sporting petrol engine.

The EX30d is complemented in the newly expanded EX line-up by the more luxury oriented EX30d GT model and Infiniti’s new top grade, GT Premium, which is available in the EX range for the first time. Introduced in response to customer demand, GT Premium models include the brand’s most sophisticated new safety and convenience features as standard and set a new benchmark in luxury crossover value.

Like the petrol variants, every EX diesel is exceptionally well equipped. The entry EX30d comes as standard with Adaptive Shift Control (ASC) 7-speed automatic transmission, active torque distribution all-wheel drive, Xenon cornering headlights, front and rear parking sensors, 18-inch alloy wheels, Scratch Shield self-healing paint, electrically adjustable front seats, power-fold rear seats, cruise control and a 7-speaker audio system with 6-CD changer, MP3 decoder, Aux-In and Bluetooth for mobile connectivity.

The EX30d GT adds leather upholstery, 10-way power driver’s seat with memory, 8-way power front passenger seat, electrically adjustable steering column, heated front seats, rear air conditioning vent and a jacket hanger.

The new EX GT Premium, available in both EX30 diesel (£41,220) and EX37 petrol (£41,080) forms, combines the features of the GT with technology from Infiniti’s innovative Safety Shield program, such as Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) with full speed range, Intelligent Brake Assist (IBA), and Forward Collision Warning (FCW), to which is added the Connectiviti+ infotainment package.

ICC ensures a safe distance to the car in front while the cruise control is operating. When cruise control is off – the majority of the time for most drivers – a combination of IBA and FCW remains constantly on alert, not just warning the driver of insufficient distance to the vehicle in front but pre-loading the powerful all-disc braking system in readiness for an emergency stop, should that become necessary.

Another safety bonus, for the diesel model only, is the standard inclusion in the EX30d GT Premium of Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), available in Europe for the first time. Unlike rival systems which merely warn the driver if the car strays out of a designated traffic lane, Infiniti’s LDP gives a warning but crucially will then take action if that warning is not heeded. Gentle brake pressure on one side of the car guides the vehicle back into the correct lane. LDP functions only above 45 mph and is automatically over-ridden by use of the indicators. The system can also be turned off by the driver if desired.

Every GT Premium model also features Around View Monitor (AVM), with its 360-degree bird’s eye view of the car and its surroundings, and the acclaimed Connectiviti+ satellite navigation system. Four times faster than the previous DVD satnav, the 30GB hard disk drive offers utmost user friendliness and highly advanced functionality – including 3D graphics on the high-resolution touch screen, access to Michelin Green Guide tourist information and gastronomical Red Guide, and automatic warnings of fixed-position safety cameras (not all markets). Instead of a CD changer for six discs Connectiviti+ boasts a 10GB Music Box – to store music from up to 300 CDs.

Credits: wilswong