2008 Infiniti EX35

OVERVIEW

New wheels for the urban warrior. Infiniti isn’t averse to a little bling, if the EX’s white-and-violet cabin illumination, 9.3-gigabyte music storage hard drive and dual subwoofers are any indication. Gadgets are the selling points, and the EX goes one better with a reversing camera.

Four better, actually: Four small cameras -- positioned front, rear and on either side -- provide the driver a top-down view of the car while parking. This feature is a world first in a production car. Other things to brag about are the Scratch Shield “self-healing” clear-coat paint and the hard-disk-based navigation system.

Powered by Nissan’s brilliant 3.5-liter V-6 engine, and running all-wheel drive with electronic torque distribution and a rearward bias on dry roads (or fully rear-wheel drive), the EX should be quite fun to pedal around. But just in case it has been a long day, Infiniti’s Lane Departure Prevention system will be there to keep things on the straight and narrow.

UNDER THE HOOD

3.5-liter V-6
290 horsepower

WHEN?

Late December 2007 as a 2008 model

HOW MUCH?

To be announced
(Executives say it will be priced much like the G35x sedan, which is in the mid-$30,000s.)

OUR TAKE

As California’s roads fall further and further into disrepair, and the trend for city-dwelling SUVs continues apace, the EX looks to be a big seller. Infiniti build quality is pretty much as good as it gets, though a hybrid version might salve a few more consciences.