Infiniti crosses over with EX35

The automobile industry increasingly resembles the popular children's fairy tale about Goldilocks and the three bears.The idea is to get a new vehicle just right, while avoiding something for the target audience that is too big or too small, too hard or too soft, too cheap or too expensive, and too funky or too stylish.Infiniti, the luxury division of Japan's Nissan, embraced that thinking for the all-new 2008 EX35, a compact luxury vehicle that is classified as a station wagon by the government, but is marketed as a crossover utility vehicle (CUV).The crossovers are increasingly popular alternatives to truck-based sport utility vehicles, or SUVs. Unlike an SUV, with its truck-like body-on frame design, a CUV is car-based with a unit body.It is not as rugged and has less capability for towing or off-road duty. But it offers better fuel economy, available all-wheel drive and that up-high seating position that many drivers prefer.The EX35 is Infiniti's second crossover. The first was the FX, an oddity that looked like a bloated, jacked-up, four-door hatchback.But the EX35 appears "just right" for Goldilocks and all of her contemporaries who have youth, beauty, good health and the wherewithal to handle the payments. The folks at Infiniti believe that the EX35 can accumulate sales of about 30,000 a year.The EX35 certainly comes across as right-sized. It is seven inches shorter and five inches narrower than the FX, and weighs about 360 pounds less.Yet its 107 cubic feet of passenger space beats the FX's 105 cubic feet. As might be expected, the FX has more cargo space under the rear hatch-27 cubic feet versus the EX35's 17. But that's a small price to pay for the EX35's tidier dimensions, crisper handling and better fuel economy.Moreover, the EX35 owner gets the passenger space of a mid-size car with a bigger luggage capacity, and the driver sits about four inches higher than in Infiniti's mid-size G35 sedan, on which the EX35 is based.There's no V8 available in the EX35. But its 3.5-liter V6 engine, with 297 horsepower, is more powerful than the six in the FX35, which has 275 horsepower. American buyers appear willing to pay stiffer prices for small luxury vehicles with high performance, and the Ex35 fits that mindset. The interior exudes luxury, with standard piano-black inlays (real maple is optional), along with materials and workmanship that fit an upscale orientation.In addition, the EX35 offers some clinchers. One is a new elastic clear-coat over the base paint job. The material heals itself, not unlike what happens when you get a paper cut.Scratch the clear-coat, and it congeals around the wound. It won't work on really deep scratches, such as if a vandal keyed the finish, but Infiniti says it will heal enough scratches to give the EX35 a higher resale value.Another innovation is the optional "around view monitor." It uses four cameras, mounted front, rear and in the side-view mirrors. They have 360-degree fish-eye lenses whose images are computer-enhanced and displayed on the dash-mounted screen as overhead views of four zones around the car.The viewing area extends about six feet in every direction-enough to warn the driver of any near-by obstacles, such as a low post, high curb or small child. The system also includes a rear-view camera, the image of which is displayed on a split screen next to the "around view monitor."The third innovation is Infiniti's "lane departure prevention," which could save an inattentive, sleepy or even drunk driver from running off the road. If the car wanders left or right, the system sounds a warning chime and applies the brakes slightly on the opposite side to bring the car back in line.But even without all this technological wizardry, the EX35 is a satisfying car to drive. It is fast, handles beautifully and stops with authority. The front bucket seats and the two outboard seats in back can carry four adults comfortably all day. But forget about the center-rear fifth position, which cannot be dignified by even calling it a seat.The steering wheel tilts and telescopes, the sun visors slide on their support rods for effective shading from the sides, and the instruments have daytime lighting. If you need to haul extra cargo, the split rear seatbacks flop down at the touch of a button and, should you choose the power option, motor their way back up. There are two EX35 versions: the base rear-drive car, with cloth upholstery and a price tag of $32,015, and the Journey model, which starts at $36,995 for the all-wheel drive version. It adds leather upholstery, a glass sunroof, the power-folding rear seats, garage-door opener, auto-dimming inside mirror with compass, and automatic headlights.An array of options is available, including a navigation system, XM satellite radio, the maple wood interior trim, adaptive cruise control, the aforementioned "around view monitor" and lane-departure prevention.With a full load, it's possible to bump the suggested sticker price up to nearly $45,000.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)