Infiniti shows new M in Geneva motor show

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Infiniti’s new M Line luxury performance saloon, bristling with safety technology, driver aids and marketing hyperbole, will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.

Key features on the five-seat, rear-wheel-drive car include V6 diesel and petrol engines, seven-speed automatic transmission, a Blind Spot Intervention system that actively prevents the driver from steering into the path of other vehicles, and what Infiniti claims is its “best ever cabin”.

On sale in Europe from September, first pictures of the European-spec car reveal the model’s unmistakeable Japanese parentage, albeit leavened with what the makers call a “ducktail” boot lid, powerful-looking wheelarches, a neatly tapered bonnet and what Infiniti not unrealistically calls “athletic” elegance.

Clearly aiming for the pockets of the wealthier, fickle buyer, press material accentuates the range of luxury accessories.

Wood trim is not merely decorative, but “an art piece”, while materials in the cabin don’t just feel good, they offer a “very tactile experience”.

The M Line doesn’t just have climate control, it has “Forest Air”. It doesn’t just push air around the cabin, it “delivers a gentle breeze”. As if this weren’t enough, a range of scents – such as “leaf” or “wood scent from the tropical borneol tree” are wafted under passengers’ noses.

Whether owners will agree that this has “a calming effect but in addition aids concentration, important with a car as powerful as the new Infiniti M”, remains to be seen.

A new feature for Infiniti (a concept previously pioneered by Lotus) includes Active Noise Control which is aimed at ridding the cabin of unwanted low-frequency engine noises by playing opposite-phase sounds over the speakers to create a noise-cancelling effect.

There are also four driver-selectable modes which trim the car to give its best in Eco, Sport, Snow and Standard conditions. In Eco mode, the accelerator “exerts a gentle resistance when the pedal is being pushed needlessly hard”.