Infiniti Goes Diesel

If Infiniti had any intention to sell impressive numbers on the European market, the Japanese luxury car manufacturer needed at least one diesel engine. After realizing that, they got to work and just presented a newly developed 3.0-litre V6 diesel, the first in the brand’s 20-year history. The engine is now available on the EX and FX crossovers and will be available on the M sedan pretty soon.

“The sales success enjoyed by Infiniti in Europe against a backdrop of financial uncertainty proves the cars’ appeal to a discerning audience. We have established Infiniti as the luxury performance brand thanks in part to the remarkable multi-award winning VQ petrol engine that powers most of the models in the range,” said Jim Wright, Vice President, Infiniti Europe.

“We were aware from the outset, however, that for Infiniti to offer a complete range a powerful diesel engine was a must, especially in the European premium SUV market where diesel represents the bulk of sector sales.

“Although we did investigate the possibility of adapting an existing large capacity diesel for Infiniti, we quickly established that nothing on the market met our exacting requirements. We needed an engine that delivered not just stunning performance but exemplary refinement too. For that reason, with the Alliance we decided to develop our own engine, a performance diesel worthy of the Infiniti badge,” said Wright.

Infitini’s diesel engine produces 175 kW (238 PS) and 550 Nm of torque. Using the standard seven-speed automatic transmission the EX30d can reach 100 km/h in 7.9 secs and the FX30d in 8.3 secs. However with all that torque, it is in their overtaking performance that the Infiniti’s advantage will be most felt.