Although Infiniti arrived in this country in 2009 there’s a good chance that many people will never have seen one of its cars on the road — even though one of its few UK dealerships is located in the West Midlands.

Infiniti is the upmarket arm of Nissan, in the same way that Lexus is the posh branch of market arm of Toyota.

Both premium bands were established at around the same time, in 1989, but while Infiniti regulaly sells over 100,000 vehicles a year in the US, it has taken a good deal longer to make it over to the UK.

The firm’s arrival in Britain coincided with the height of the recession and it has had to content itself with starting slowly and building up its reputation gradually.

Apart from its headquarters in Reading it still has only three regional centres, including one in the West Midlands in central Birmingham. But that is set to change over the next couple of years, with a number of sites already earmarked for Infiniti centres across the country.

It offers a surprisingly large range of saloons, coupes and SUVs with the latter category expected to account for the bulk of sales. The key to understanding the brand’s naming strategy is to realise that G models are coupes, Ms are saloons and anything with an X in it is likely to be a 4×4.

Infiniti FX30d

A cutaway shot of the G37's cabin

Infiniti designs tend to be curvy rather than angular and this extends even to its big 4x4s like the FX30d 4×4, which has a softer outline than many rivals.

In common with much of the Infiniti range there’s a slightly flash quality about the design, with plenty of chrome on display. The frontal styling is particularly impressive and these cars look far better in the metal than in pictures to my eyes.

Most FXs sit on giant 21-inch wheels (with 22-inchers available as options) so they really cut a dash on the road, with a slight pay-off in terms of harder ride quality.

In common with many other Infiniti models comfort and equipment levels are high, with features including leather seats, hard disk satellite navigation, and a lane departure warning system. There’s plenty of room for five adults on board, though the boot is on the small side for such a big car owing to its high sill.

The FX even comes coated in ‘self-repairing paint’ though I felt it inadvisable to put this to the test on the day.

There’s plenty of power on tap from the 238hp, three-litre diesel engine and 0-60mph takes a fraction over eight seconds. It can be raucous under acceleration and the automatic transmission felt a little sluggish too. Other than that it’s very slick and easy to drive for such a big car.

Visibility is not brilliant but Infiniti offers the excellent Around View Monitor as an option. This is a four-camera system providing a comprehensive view of the surrounding area as you manoeuvre into a tight space. You even get a ‘bird-eye’ view of your surroundings displayed on the screen in the centre of the dashboard.

The price of the car as tested came to £53,492 which is competitive compared with rival offerings.

Infiniti G37 S

The G37 coupe is refined and deceptively quick on the road

I also tried one of Infiniti’s smart-looking coupes which tend to have a ‘grown-up’ air about them compared with sports cars bearing the Nissan badge. The G37 S Premium proved more comfortable and refined than some of the hairy-chested offerings in the Nissan range. Again, equipment levels are high — as you would expect in a car costing £41,967 to put on the road. Room in the back is limited and boot is not the largest, either.

The car’s petrol engine is smoother and more agreeable to drive than the diesel. It’s deceptively quick too, managing to hit 60mph in under six seconds. The G37 comes with a limited slip differential and very sharp four-wheel steering, which I liked — but it seems best suited as a comfortable Grand Tourer rather than an out and out sports car. Rival products would have to include Audi’s A5 and Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class Coupe, while Peugeot’s stylish RCZ coupe offers a similar driving experience for around £15,000 less.

Infiniti Centres

Infiniti prides itself on customer service and its centres are certainly different to the average car showroom.

The ambience is designed to be closer to an upmarket hotel than a car showroom and they offer a pleasant, relaxing environment, with works of art on display, and much more subdued lighting than you’d normally find at a dealership.

When you take delivery of your new Infiniti you’re taken to a special handover room with a giant fully-retracting picture window. Your car will be under a purple sheet and once the window has been opened and the wraps are off you’ll be able to drive it straight out of the showroom — a nice touch which will, I suspect, prove popular with buyers.

Verdict

The issue facing Infiniti, as its strives to gain a foothold in the UK market, is straightforward enough: with many motorists looking to downsize during the continuing economic downturn, is there room for another premium brand? I think there is. The cars are distinctive enough to appeal to those looking for something a little different to the premium German brands and the firm’s approach of gradually building market share is surely the correct one.

And if it pays off it won’t be long before Infinitis become a far more common sight on UK roads.