The aggressively designed FX50, akin to the BMW X6, evokes a crouching mountain lion ready to snatch her prey while simultaneously retaining the graceful bearing of a house cat. Along with its ready-to-strike stance, Infiniti’s all-new and fashionable mid-size crossover flaunts muscular lines, a sloping roof, an integrated rear spoiler and 21-inch aluminum-alloy wheels. Matching the premium utility vehicle’s polished and masculine exterior is a monster 390-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 engine married to a seven-speed automatic transmission with standard magnesium paddle shifters. No, the fuel economy is nothing to brag about, but this automobile is fun to drive and can keep on par with some real racing coupes with its impressive 5.7-second 0-60 mph acceleration time. On the road, our tester—equipped with an intelligent all-wheel drive and vehicle dynamic and traction controls—felt like an elevated sports sedan with its responsive handling. However, on uneven surfaces the FX50 is a rough rider, something an available Continuous Damping Control system helps by electronically moderating the shock absorbers.
Needless to say, it is not meant for going off-road, and given the five-passenger automobile’s maximum 62 cubic feet cargo area, it is not meant for utility either. Instead, it’s intended for entertainment and comfortable cruising. The crossover’s modern cabin boasts quality components, such as a hand-stained maple wood trim and quilted leather-appointed seats—the front ones are eight-way power adjustable and climate-controlled. The command center-styled cockpit features white/violet electroluminescent gauges, steering wheel-mounted cruise and audio controls, a Bluetooth hands-free phone system and a HomeLink universal transceiver. Standard to the FX50 is a powered moonroof, electric liftgate closure assist, and 300-watt eleven-speaker XM satellite radio-capable Bose audio system with two subwoofers. The pricy luxury wagon also comes equipped with a navigation system (with an eight-inch display screen and 9.3-GB music box hard drive) and an Around View Monitor, which uses four small superwide-angle cameras to project a bird’s eye-view of the car, helping to reduce blind spots when parking. Auto-leveling headlights, sport-style front seats, intelligent brake assist with forward collision warning, a lane departure warning and prevention system, pre-crash seat belts, intelligent cruise control (full speed range), distance control assist and a DVD player with a nine-inch roof-mounted LCD screen are all optional.
Sourced from: www.gayot.com
