Infiniti M 's clever new tech

The new Infiniti M will introduce a new blind-spot warning system that will stop the car being steered into the path of the vehicle next to it.

The new system, called Blind Spot Intervention, functions like a normal warning system by detecting cars within the driver’s blind spot and issuing a warning. But if the driver pulls out anyway the M will take evasive action, and turn the steering to bring car back into its lane.

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The M will also be available with Infiniti’s Drive system, which changes the car’s engine and chassis settings. Drivers can choose from Eco, Sport, Standard or Sport settings, which alter the gearshift characteristics and throttle response.

Eco includes the first application of Nissan’s Eco Pedal technology; if the accelerator pedal is pushed down hard, it pushes back with what is described as “gentle resistance”. The system can also be switched off.

As with the rest of the Infiniti range, the M is based on a variant of Nissan’s rear-drive FR platform, which also underpins the 370Z. In the M it creates a front-to-rear weight distribution of 53/47.

The car will be available with V6 engines, but that includes the new diesel, a 3.0-litre unit developed by Renault Nissan. It will be available from launch, and Infiniti claims the engine will offer excellent refinement, and says a lot of attention has been paid to acoustic quality.

The M will also be sold as a hybrid. Due to go on sale at the beginning of 2011, six months after the petrol and diesel cars, the hybrid powertrain will couple the older 3.5-litre V6 (which is still on sale in the US) with a seven-speed automatic gearbox, and an electric motor sandwiched between the two.

It will have the ability to run on electric power alone, unlike rivals from Mercedes and BMW. Infiniti claims diesel economy with petrol V6 performance.

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