Deep Drive: 2008 Infiniti EX

It seems like most automakers are thinking smaller in recent days. Just as the market is flooded with new subcompacts like Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, and Toyota Yaris to name a few, an even hotter compact segment is being defined--the premium compact SUV. Players like Acura's RDX and BMW's X3 highlight an expanding class where luxury and utility are blended on a small scale. A new challenger this year is the 2008 Infiniti EX.

"EX is playing in a fairly hot segment in the marketplace. The growth of this segment in recent years has been astronomical," said Larry Dominique, vice president of product planning. In fact, Infiniti claims sales of what it terms the "luxury crossover" segment have grown 49 percent from 2000 to 2006. According to Dominique, the time was right to bring Infiniti's premium compact SUV to the table.

The challenge, however, is to carve out a niche for EX both in Infiniti's lineup and an already crowded SUV marketplace. With EX's compact, sleek styling, new technological features, and proven powertrain, Infiniti aims to attract buyers who normally wouldn't consider this segment.

"EX is a very uniquely-positioned vehicle that broadens Infiniti's appeal," Dominique said.

FX + G = EX

While EX's silhouette mimics that of Infiniti's premium midsize SUV FX, it is more closely related to the midsize G sedan and coupe. EX and G share both platform and powertrain, and from the front, look nearly identical. Infiniti explains EX's styling as coupe-inspired design with a lot of "G heritage" behind it.

The 2008 Infiniti EX shares both platform and powertrain with the Infiniti G35.

EX rides on 17-inch wheels or optional 18s and is available with all-wheel drive and rear-drive. Under the hood is G35's 3.5-liter V6 tuned to 297 horsepower and five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode.

EX is available in base and Journey trims both with AWD or RWD. Options include leather seats and interior, power-folding second-row seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated seats, a touch screen navigation system with rearview camera, a driver's seat mounted coat hanger, Lane Departure Prevention system, Around View Monitoring system, and a 9.3-gigabyte hard drive for MP3 music file storage.

Inside, drivers can choose from four different color options, for what Infiniti calls its "most luxurious interior to date." Modeled after the four seasons, choices include winter's black leather, spring's beige leather, summer's cream leather, and autumn's burgundy leather.

"Right Sized"

Lower and shorter than a traditional SUV, yet taller and longer than some sedans, EX is what Infiniti calls a "segment-buster," which it hopes will set the vehicle apart from its competition. Riding on a 110.2-inch wheelbase, EX is 182.3 inches long, 71.0 inches wide, and 61.9 inches tall. In contrast, the G35 sedan is 187.0 inches in length, 69.8 inches wide, and 57.8 inches tall.

Another strategy to get a leg-up over premium compact SUV contenders is to market the vehicle to women, a new approach for Infiniti. Traditionally, its customers skew 60 percent male, 40 percent female. Infiniti hopes EX's "right-sized" compact appearance and sleek good looks will win over the hearts and pocketbooks of women, as well as other buyers who may not consider this vehicle class or the brand in general.

Like all premium compact SUVs, EX is charged with blending utility and luxury on a diminutive scale. "EX has the right balance between passenger comfort and cargo room; the right balance between ride comfort and performance," Dominique said.

Customers have four different interior leather color options:
black, beige, cream (pictured), and burgundy.

EX may pack a tiny punch in terms of size, but what is said about small packages holds true here. What EX lacks in size, it makes up for in a big way in terms of style and new features.

Lane Departure Prevention

A successor to Infiniti's current Lane Departure Warning system, Lane Departure Prevention actually takes action to correct the vehicle's direction if it crosses the center or shoulder lines on the road.

According to Infiniti safety specialist Bob Yakushi, "Lane Departure Prevention is the first active intervention system in the marketplace."

The system works by gauging where the vehicle is in relationship to the lines on the road. If it senses the vehicle going out of those lines at speeds above 45 miles an hour, a warning signal is sounded and the vehicle's stability control system is activated to bring it back to the correct side of the line. If EX is drifting too far to the right side of the road, it applies gentle braking to the left front and rear wheels to correct the direction of the vehicle. It can be turned on and off via a button on the steering wheel.

"This system is very effective in helping if you're distracted and as we go into the future you'll see Infiniti introduce a number of technologies like this one that help prevent crashes," Yakushi said.

EX is the first vehicle in Infiniti's lineup to get the optional LDP system. Look for it next on the'08 Infiniti M.

Around View Monitoring

Just as obstacle detection systems and back-up cameras are filtering down to all different types of vehicles, both luxury and non-luxury sedans and SUVs, Infiniti introduces Around View Monitoring. The system uses four cameras to show the driver the entire circumference of the exterior on the navigation screen.

"Active View Monitoring takes a fish eye view of all 4 areas and flattens it," Yakushi said.

Cameras are mounted in the rear license plate, in both side mirrors, and below the Infiniti logo on EX's grille. All the angles can be viewed separately on the navigation screen or together as one cohesive image of the entire vehicle. If the driver gets too close to a stationary object in any direction, a warning is sounded. AVM is optional and is currently only available on EX, but will make its way to other Infiniti vehicles during the next year.

EX in the Marketplace

The all-new 2008 Infiniti EX is set to hit dealerships this December at a cost also reminiscent of G35. Infiniti hinted that a base model AWD EX should cost roughly the same as a base model AWD G35 sedan; about $33,950.

Around View Monitoring's cameras take four images from around the vehicle and
then flattens them into one cohesive view of the car displayed on the navigation screen.

So far this year, Infiniti sales are up 6.8 percent, largely due to the popularity of the redesigned G35 sedan and soon-to-be-redesigned G37 coupe.

Despite EX's unique market position, Infiniti is confident it will be a success. If the success of G is any indication, another sales win should follow for its more utility-focused sibling.

"We're playing in a fairly healthy market for luxury. With the products we're launching, we're doing it in a fairly stable marketplace. It's the right product, in the right segment, at the right time," Dominique said.

2008 Infiniti EX Pictures

The 2008 Infiniti EX goes on sale this December.

Expect an AWD base EX to start right around the same price as an AWD base 2008 G35.

The 2008 Infiniti EX features power-folding second-row seats.