Look no further for individuality
Mark Smyth sees plenty of good in the new Infiniti EX, but not in the price
INFINITI is still very much the new kid on the block, but as the luxury arm of Nissan it has a fair amount of punch behind it in terms of marketing and commitment.
While the brand was launched a couple of months ago, it is still in the introductory phase, with the first dealerships opening their doors in Hatfield and Melrose Arch with others to follow.
The large FX model we tested a while ago has plenty of presence and, as well as being a superb drive, it is also very well equipped. Just like Lexus, the company is keen to provide plenty of standard equipment to rival some stalwarts such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Porsche.
This brings me to the EX, which is almost a crossover model with its smaller dimensions and more urban character. I recently took the 3l diesel version down to the Drakensberg for a wedding, which provided an opportunity to test it in different situations.
The styling is definitely something refreshing, with a long curvaceous bonnet and bulbous rear end that is reminiscent of vehicles like the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q5. It also sits on 19-inch wheels, which give it a fair amount of presence and athleticism in the looks department.
Personally, I like the looks and find it to be a far better looking vehicle than the Lexus RX or the Nissan Murano.
Talking of the Murano, the interior has quite a few elements from the sports crossover model. The centre console features many of the same controls and even the same infotainment screen. It has all received the Infiniti touch though, with a purple backlit clock and purple backlighting on many of the instruments. There is plenty of storage space too, though the boot space is compromised slightly by that curved rear tailgate.
On the road the diesel unit provided plenty of poke and often had to be reigned in to avoid risking falling foul of the average speed zones on the N3 to Pietermaritzburg. Consumption was nothing to shout about, comparing favourably with its rivals at about 9l/100km.
The ride itself could have been a little more comfortable. It felt a little harsh at times, but Infiniti has set itself up as a brand that aims to combine sportiness with luxury so I found it acceptable. It was not as soft and plush in its ride as something like the Lexus, but offered a good compromise.
With a full range of adjustment available on the electric leather seats, it was easy for both driver and passenger to feel comfortable and it took the edge off the stress of dealing with all the trucks that had returned to the road for the first time after the recent strikes.
Fortunately, the lighting system is also very good because the fog descended on Van Reenen’s Pass and on a few occasions I was surprised by a truck ahead of us with no rear lights at all. The brakes on the EX are good too.
On arrival in the Berg, we had to head towards Eston along roads that featured a number of potholes, but with the fog reducing visibility to just a few metres it was almost a case of fly by navigation as we assessed the road ahead on the navigation screen. The infotainment system itself is quite good but the navigation could do with some modernising to compete with some of the systems being offered by the Germans.
Over the course of the week- end the EX was put through gravel and back road driving. Once again, that superb steering showed its worth as potholes had to be dodged, while on the gravel it handled itself well. Despite its rear wheel drive set up, there was very little in the way of tail sliding action as the computers kept it composed almost all the time.
The EX is a really good car, but it has one major drawback — its price. The model we had on test was the GT Premium automatic, which carries a price tag of R677,276. Granted, if I compare like for like when it comes to specification it is actually good value, but for this price you could be in any BMW X3 or a Range Rover Evoque, and it is only a few grand shy of the price of a Porsche Cayenne diesel or a Mercedes ML250 Bluetec.
Sure, in the Porsche and the Merc you would have to spend a small fortune to get to the same equipment level, but they are both proper SUVs as opposed to the crossover or small SUV status of the EX.
Fortunately, some of the other EX models are quite a bit cheaper and even undercut the Lexus RX. Despite the Lexus’ larger dimensions and increased boot space, I would at least choose the EX over its Japanese rival, but in this price bracket, it is really going to have to punch quite hard.