2008 Infiniti EX35

Ever since Nissan introduced the front-mid (FM) platform back in 2002, it's been the automaker's saving grace, underpinning a host of significant vehicles-namely, the iconic 350Z sports car and Infiniti's core models, the G and M sedans and the FX sport/utility-and catapulting the brand back to competitive excellence. For Infiniti, this robust, adaptable architecture has garnered not only high praise (we declared the new G37 coupe superior to the benchmark BMW 335i in an August comparison test) but also strong sales (the G and the FX represent the brand's top-selling car and sport/utility) that resurrected the make and kept it from swirling down the drain. Further, this month's cover car, the Z06-contending GT-R, rides on FM-tweaked architecture. Legitimate platform? To say the least.

So imagine our delight when Infiniti announced at last April's New York auto show that, beginning late this month, it would start selling a fresh FM-based sport/ute combining the style of a G coupe with the utility of an FX sport/ute. Naturally, our anticipation was high, especially since picturing this chic crossover was as easy as staring at the handsome EX Concept slowly pirouetting on the turntable.

Built by a company devoted to style, the new EX35 embodies plenty of it, evidenced by an arching, coupelike roofline, a double-arch grille, L-shaped headlamps, and aggressive proportions highlighted by a long hood, short overhangs, and a rearward cabin. The EX measures 182.3 inches long (1.6 inches longer than an Acura RDX), 71.0 inches wide (2.6 narrower), and only 61.9 inches tall (3.3 shorter), and as a result looks more like a G35 hatchback than an FX wannabe. Indeed, the EX isn't even as tall as Volvo's new XC70 wagon, which stands 1.2 inches higher. However classified, the EX is nevertheless a sleek, muscular vehicle, certainly with its "Fluid Finish" paint job. Codeveloped by Nissan and Nippon Paint, this new technology consists of a highly elastic self-healing, scratch-resistant resin that is applied to the paint and, depending on temperature and scratch depth, can repair itself within a week. No shortcomings here, but the EX's style and size do have theirs: Rear-seat legroom, at 28.5 inches, pales to the 37.7 in the RDX, and the meager 16.8 cubic feet of cargo volume (only 3.3 more than that of a G35) is down by a couple of Miata trunks compared with the Acura's 27.8. Further, don't expect the low-slung EX to easily trudge off-road to the cabin-all-wheel-drive versions provide just 5.7 inches of ground clearance.

Fortunately, despite its deficiencies, the EX doesn't suffer from a lack of performance, which, if you rarely tote around kids, friends, or gobs of gear, will more than make up for any inadequacies. Like its G35 sibling, the EX is inspired by a 3.5-liter version of Nissan's VQ-series V-6, which delivers 297 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. The changes necessary to tune down the dual exhaust by two decibels relative to the G's accounts in part for a loss of nine horses and 13 pound-feet. Still, motivating between 3800 to 4000 pounds and paired with a standard five-speed automatic with manual control and downshift rev matching, the 3.5 feels sufficiently robust and refined and shouldn't struggle cracking off 0-to-60 sprints in the mid-six-second range. According to EX vehicle manager Yasuhiro Shiraishi, the man responsible for the current as well as the next-gen FX, which will bow at March's Geneva motor show, the EX's front control-arm suspension is most similar to the Z's while the rear multilink setup closely resembles that of the FX. The result is excellent ride composure and body control, whether rolling on the standard 17-inch wheels or the optional 18s, and the direct and positive sensations from the variable-assist steering and four-wheel vented disc brakes impart a downright sporty personality that should attract enthusiasts. Speaking of which, those driving purists will be pleased to know that the EX, in addition to its available ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive, is the only entry in its segment to offer rear drive.