The 2009 FX50 replaces last year's FX45 while pushing power and technology to the extreme in Infiniti's flagship, all-wheel-drive (AWD) crossover SUV. This vehicle's wickedly expressive styling embodies comfort and luxury that takes a back seat to no other manufacturer of these highly popular, genuinely functional sleds.
First the power
This year's 5-litre DOHC V8 adds 70 horsepower to the output of last year's 4.5-litre V8, for a 2009 total of 390 ponies at 6,500 rpm. The new powerplant supplements its horsepower brawn with 369 pound-feet of torque @ 4,400 rpm. Unfortunately, at 14.6 and 10.1 L/100kmh of city and highway driving respectively, fuel consumption is unfriendly despite seven forward gears.
A seven-speed automatic transmission supplies the robust mill with a wide range of gearing to ensure instant, hard-hitting acceleration from a standstill or from highway speed onward. This sophisticated autobox features an electronic manual-mode controlled through beautifully formed titanium paddles.
The engine and transmission combo is a synergistic force to be admired and reckoned with. Together they propel the FX50 with the sort of clout you'd expect from a hi-performance sedan or coupe while imparting operational refinement congruent with the finest premium marques.
Downshifts using the paddles initiate throttle blips to align engine revs with the anticipated gear. Upshifts are almost imperceptible within normal acceleration parameters with the engine loafing along until being called to battle. Under full throttle it emits audible aggression sufficient to incite a Pavlovian response in men, and I dare say many women.
One complaint I must espouse is the 'urgent' throttle mapping of the drive-by-wire system. I found it to be unnecessarily sensitive and overly touchy. Throw on a pair of clumsy snowboots and it becomes difficult to pull away from a stop without recommending a good chiropractor to your passengers to deal with jackrabbit-induced whiplash.
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| The FX50 replaces last year's FX45 while pushing power and technology to the extreme in Infiniti's flagship. |
First the power
This year's 5-litre DOHC V8 adds 70 horsepower to the output of last year's 4.5-litre V8, for a 2009 total of 390 ponies at 6,500 rpm. The new powerplant supplements its horsepower brawn with 369 pound-feet of torque @ 4,400 rpm. Unfortunately, at 14.6 and 10.1 L/100kmh of city and highway driving respectively, fuel consumption is unfriendly despite seven forward gears.
A seven-speed automatic transmission supplies the robust mill with a wide range of gearing to ensure instant, hard-hitting acceleration from a standstill or from highway speed onward. This sophisticated autobox features an electronic manual-mode controlled through beautifully formed titanium paddles.
The engine and transmission combo is a synergistic force to be admired and reckoned with. Together they propel the FX50 with the sort of clout you'd expect from a hi-performance sedan or coupe while imparting operational refinement congruent with the finest premium marques.
Downshifts using the paddles initiate throttle blips to align engine revs with the anticipated gear. Upshifts are almost imperceptible within normal acceleration parameters with the engine loafing along until being called to battle. Under full throttle it emits audible aggression sufficient to incite a Pavlovian response in men, and I dare say many women.
One complaint I must espouse is the 'urgent' throttle mapping of the drive-by-wire system. I found it to be unnecessarily sensitive and overly touchy. Throw on a pair of clumsy snowboots and it becomes difficult to pull away from a stop without recommending a good chiropractor to your passengers to deal with jackrabbit-induced whiplash.
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| The new powerplant supplements its horsepower brawn with 369 pound-feet of torque @ 4,400 rpm. |