INFINITI M30d Review

Infiniti didn't try to make a compromise between driving dynamics and ride comfort with the M. At least not in the tested diesel version's case. This car is clearly focused on offering a mental and physical massage-like experience for the driver and passenger, so it gets a high score for this chapter.

The soft suspension makes you feel the dangers of rear-wheel-drive when you're trying to tackle corners like you have a helmet on, but if you ease of the throttle you'll be able to enjoy every mile of your journey in a smooth way.

But the suspension is just the foundation. Further on, the generously-sized seats, which also offer a bit of support through the corners, manage to make you want to stay in them. The quality of the materials means that your fingers will also feel good while touching any interior surface.

In fact, this car has a... ahem... how do you say "you can't put your finger on it" in Japanese? something that makes you feel good. It's a combination between the look and the feel of the interior that manages to push the right cosiness buttons in your mind without actually bringing something revolutionary to the game.

Of course, all the expected goodies are there. We're referring to stuff like the intelligent cruise control, which also has a function that allows it to do its job in the lower area of the speedometer (aka city zone), being able to follow the vehicle in the front and bring the car to a halt (however, it only keeps it stationary for a few seconds), the dual-zone climate control system and the - wait, wait a second, our test car was fitted with an optional goodie called Multimedia package and Forest Air System. While the former is detailed in the "Gadgets" section, we'll talk about the latter here.

Any modern climate control system uses the most efficient ways to cool or heat the cabin once you hit the "auto button", but this one had a special vent that brought air in the superior part of the car, thus perpetually recirculating the fresh one. As for its special name, this actually means that you get filters that rely on plants to clean the air and offer a fresh breeze. What did our nose say about this? Yes, the air was incredibly clean, but the aroma wasn't there.

The muscular hood, which has beefy sides that inspire you as you drive, hides (in the case of our test car)... an engine shared with the Nissan Navara.

We’’re not saying the M30d comes with a powerplant borrowed from a pick-up truck, but the unit doesn'’t manage to be 100 percent lively enough for the badge.

As you probably know, Infiniti didn’’t want to meet Rudolph until last year, when the company borrowed the Renault-Nissan Alliance’’s 3.0-liter V6 diesel unit. The V9X engine delivers 238 hp at 3,750 rpm and a maximum torque of 550 Nm (410 lb-ft).

On paper, the engine should offer satisfying straight-line performance, but it doesn’’t feel like it. The seven-speed torque converter automatic is not the problem, as it does a decent job, but the 1,845 kg (4067 lbs) of the car just need more muscle in order to bring good sensations to the game.

Actually, this is where the problem lies. You see, Infiniti used aluminum for the hood, doors and boot lid, but you could swear that someone has come and replaced those panels with a set borrowed from a stone age car. Why? Because the scales are burdened with one hundred and a few tens of kilograms more than in competition’’s case.

So, the oil burner doesn’’t match Infiniti’s sporty ambitions, but what about the luxury-related ones? Fortunately, the mill shines from this point of view, relying on a low idle speed and special mounts to offer a low NVH level.

Infiniti offers the driver a special whip for controlling the engine and the transmission, in the form of the Infiniti Drive knob, which plays with the throttle sensitivity and gearbox mapping. This offers four modes: Standard (boring), Eco (a true nature’’s friend), Sport (the only one that manages to bring the car closer to what it’s design promises) and Snow (useless if you know how to use your right foot).

All in all, the M30d offers a decent tech package, but it doesn’’t manage to bring anything that would make your jump for joy to the game. We’re sure things would have been dramatically changed if we had dealt with the 3.7-liter petrol V6 mill that powered the G37 sedan we previously tested.

Our test vehicle came fitted with all sorts of toys that allowed the infant, child, teenager and adult inside of you to have fun. In fact, the name of the equipment level used by our test car, GT Premium, says it all.

We’ll start with the Multimedia and Forest Air package, which keeps your ears vibrating and automatically recirculates the air inside the cabin using plant-based filters to purify the air and offer it a special scent (which we weren’t able to feel).

For this chapter, we’d like to zoom on the Multimedia part of the deal, which brings a Bose Surround Sound system that uses 5.1 channels and 16 speakers to deliver its audio kicks, a navigation system that includes a 30 GB hard drive and knows DVD, MP3, WMA and DivX language. The system also allows you to use your vocal chords to command it.

The touch-screen display fitted in the center console, as well as the high-fidelity speakers placed on the sides of the front seats’ upper sides are fine touches, but the system failed to raise up to the quality-at-high-volume expectations.

Of course, we musn't’t forget the details that matter, such as the heated steering wheel and seats, the rear window electric privacy curtain, the sunroof, the electric power for nearly almost any mobile part of the interior, from the aforementioned item to the steering wheel column and (cornering-) Adaptive front-lighting System.

Thought we were through? We’ve only just passed the middle point of our written journey here, so we must also mention the knob that allows you to select between the drive modes (throttle response and gearshift), the keyless start system, as well as the rearview camera and the rear parking sensors.

We’ll also mention the Intelligent Cruise Control with a Low Speed Following function, which allows you to follow the car in the front, also being able to bring the car to a complete stop. However, this only holds the vehicle for a few seconds, after which you’ll have to push the brake pedal.

All in all, the multiple types of toys our test car was fitted with managed to please all our senses. However, like we said in the “Open Road” chapter, we really wish our test car had been fitted with the 4-Wheel Active Steering and the Dynamic Cornering Enhancement systems. Yes, this car really needs them to allow you to efficiently cover long distances.

When we started our drive test section, we vowed to evaluate each automotive creation we get our hands on as thorough as possible. However, until now, we never managed to asses the passive safety of any autoevolution test car. Thus, when it comes to this part, we must take a look on what the big boys in this game, like the Euro NCAP or the National Highway Traffic Administration, have to say.

For this review, we turned to the latter, which subjected the M to its 2011 crash test procedure. So, let’s see how the saloon held its own against the official “obstacles”.

The IIHS tested a 2011 Infiniti M37 (using a V6 gasoline engine) with rear wheel drive, awarding the vehicle a four star safety rating. The vehicle received four stars for the frontal crash test, with this being the average between the 5-star rating for the driver and the 3-star one for the front passenger.

As for the side impact rating, the vehicle received 5 stars (the driver protection was rated at 4 stars, while the rear passenger one was rated at 5 stars). The car also received a four-star rollover rating, with a 11.3 percent risk of rollover.

Now that we know what happens in case you end up remodeling the M’’s body, let’’s see what Infiniti does to prevent you from doing that and help you in the event this happens.

The highlights of the tested M30d’’s active safety features are the Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) with a Low Speed Following system, Blind Spot Warning with Blind Spot Intervention, Distance Control Assist, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Departure Prevention, Forward Collision Warning, as well as the Intelligent Brake Assist.

Let’’s say you set off, drive around and, at a certain moment, you’’re in a bit of a hurry, take a quick look in the rear view mirror and decide that it’’s OK to change the lane in order to pass the car in front of you. However, you’’ve just missed the car that was in the blind spot, so it’’s the car’s job to correct this. Just like any other system of its kind, the aforementioned one alerts the driver, but it actually does so much more, gently applying the brakes on the opposite side of the car. The system’’s reaction is prompt, but gentle, and can be easily overridden.

You reached your destination, finished the job and you’’re on your way back now. You’’re no longer in a hurry, so you’’d like to relax. Well, you can rely on the Distance Control Assist, which allows you to follow the car ahead. The system is pretty smart, as it varies the distances between the vehicle in front of you according to the speed and can also bring the car to a complete stop. However, it will only hold it there for a few seconds, so you have to take over control subsequently.

As for the Forward Collision Warning, this alerts you in case of an emergency, also using the electric motors that control the seat belts to seriously pretension them. In addition to that, the Intelligent Brake Assist system decelerates the vehicle if an impact can’t be avoided, thus reducing the force of the crash.

If you do find yourself in the unfortunate situation of an impact, you can rely on features such as the six airbags and the active front headrests.

With each generation of its flagship saloon Infiniti wanted to get closer and closer to the Germans and seriously threaten them. The M30d we tested offered an interesting mix between an elegant design that is also a statement of boldness, a plush interior and a high level of comfort. However, there are a few missing ingredients that keep the car from bringing drops of sweat on Audi’s, BMW’s and Mercedes’ foreheads, so we’ll probably have to wait until the next generation arrives in order to see an even fight between the Japanese and the Germans. The latter should really prepare themselves, as we feel a hellfire battle is coming.

The ingredients we are talking about: a smarter diesel engine and a sharper handling. We’re pretty sure the “S” versions of the M come with the latter, but do they offer the same level of comfort? As for the engine, this leave a bit to be desired, both in terms of power and efficiency.

The M’s main asset is clearly its comfort, which is built on both real assets and a touch of “je ne sais quoi”. The first include the comfortable suspension, cosy seats and generous interior space, while the latter have something to do with the excellent soundproofing and the massive center console. Together, all these want to make you spend as much time as you can as a passenger in the M30d.

As a driver - yes, this is the bad part of the car - you won’t like the M30d GT Premium. Why? Well, it seems that the car had to sell its sporty soul for all that comfort. Things are decent when the road is straight, but try to multitask the car (you know, speed and steer at the same time) and you’ll be sorry. The body-roll will literally send you flying and the steering will become an introvert. And we’re not talking about the madness of wanting to powerslide such a vehicle. This tendencies also appear when you’re willing to perform a quick overtaking, so you’ll encounter them in the real world.

As for the ugly bits, we can mention the interior ergonomics - how can you make a car that doesn’t have enough room for your hand to reach the electric seat adjustment controls or force the driver to guess the position the automatic transmission’s lever? We also have to add that the boot is way under the segment’s standards. But wait, this could mean that your wifes will spend less time shopping...