2012 Infiniti M35h: Best M, best hybrid!
Infiniti promised us that it was going to develop an in-house hybrid system for its luxury line and don’t look now, but it’s the M that’s getting it. After test driving this nearly $70,000 machine, we are smitten!
The regulars on The Car Guide site will know that last year, at about the same time, we test drove the new generation of the Infiniti M. Re-reading that article now, you’d think that we were indifferent about the M37. And we while we loved the M56, its price put it in the same overcrowded category – not to mention the shadow – of the BMWs, Audis and Mercedes of the world.
The Infiniti M35h might shake things up even though its price – there’s only one fully equipped version at $67,300 – keeps it in the same category as the heavyweights. But this time, it has a particular feature that suits it very well: hybrid technology.
For Infiniti, by Infiniti
Instead of relying on Toyota’s system (as was done for the Nissan Altima), the manufacturer wanted to design its own system for the Infiniti M. Overall, the “Direct Response” resembles what Hyundai, Volkswagen have developed: it relies on one electric motor (as opposed to two like Toyota and Ford) for propulsion, to assist the gasoline engine and to recharge the batteries.
This 50 kW electric motor is flanked by two clutches and is structured in a linear fashion to help deliver power more directly to the rear wheels. That task is completed by the seven-speed automatic that already equips the other M models (except that they forgot to bring back the paddle shifters on the wheel) and thankfully, not by a CVT.
All kinds of torque
The good old 3.5-litre V6 that was in the G35 before it became the G37 is under the hood, although now it features the Atkinson cycle. But as we all know, the power from an electric motor cannot be fully combined with that of a heat engine, so Infiniti calculates that the M35h hybrid will have 360 horsepower. That’s 10 % more than for the M37 with, as a bonus, accelerations enhanced by a phenomenal torque. And what kick down! We owe that to the instantaneity of the electric motor.
Infiniti doesn’t want to reveal the figures concerning the torque. If we just add up the numbers ourselves (258 lbs-ft for the V6, 199 lbs-ft for the electric engine) we come up with 457 lbs-ft. That’s more than for the M56, but without the higher fuel consumption.
The result is that the M35h is not only more exciting to drive than the M37, it’s almost as (if not equally) thrilling as the M56. Sure, the hybrid system adds 120 kilos, but you don’t even feel that when you start. In winding roads however, you’ll feel every one of the car’s 1,883 kilos, and its large dimensions make it somewhat awkward. This is no G, that’s for sure.
The steering, which is exceptionally electric, keeps a good connection with the road. There’s also the sport suspension with double piston shock absorbers, which comes on option on the other M’s but is factory standard here.
Basically, the M37 and the M56 are finding out who’s the boss in the M line. Overall, the M35h is turning into the most interesting car in the bunch, even though, unfortunately, it doesn’t offer all-wheel drive...yet.
100% electric, even at 100km/hr
Besides the ride, there’s fuel consumption. Our short test drives of the M35h in the Kelowna region didn’t help us establish a reliable average, but note that between “eco” mode – that awful mode where the pedal intervenes to tell you that you have to ease up – and “sport” mode, our fuel consumption varied from 5.2 to 9.0 L/100 km. Not too shabby...
The manufacturer’s official numbers (7.5 L/100 km in town, 6.1 L/100 km highway), if they hold up, will be impressive. For starters, 7.5 L in town is as frugal as a compact with a four-cylinder engine. And 6.1 L on the highway, that’s 23 % better than the main competitor, the Lexus GS450h. And it’s natural: hybrid vs. hybrid, it’s the Infiniti M’s system that allows you to drive in 100% electric mode at up to 100 km/hr but for 1,8 km !
The M35h definitely won’t go from Montréal to Québec on the electric motor alone ! Its lithium-ion batteries have a capacity of 1.4 kW and while they are twice as efficient as nickel metal hydride batteries, they still have their limits.
Uncompromising
These batteries have their limits, and they restrict the trunk space as well, to the tune of 25% less. The remaining 320 litres of cargo space are more like a compact than a mid-size. Infiniti maintains that four golf bags can fit inside, but the company isn’t taking any risks: there’s a diagram that illustrates how you have to do it.
With the exception of the inscription on the door, nothing on the outside would give away the fact that this is a hybrid. As for the design, like the other variations of the M, there are nice, sensual lines and exaggerated curves that are more like the concept car than the production model. The passenger compartment is also luxurious and features irreproachable quality. The American publication Ward’s awarded it the title of “Best interior in its category”. Information on the hybrid system is integrated in the display screen and in the instrumentation in front of the driver and is easy to gather and interpret. More than for the other variations of the M, the M35h’s soundproofing seemed impenetrable, and it’s almost too bad... It deprives us of that beautiful roar that comes from the twin exhaust and is unique to Nissan/Infiniti engines.
It goes to show that a hybrid can growl like a sports car if given the chance.
