At the
Tokyo Motor Show later this month Nissan will display its new Fuga saloon, which will be known in the rest of the world as the Infiniti M. It's arriving in Europe early next year and Infiniti has confirmed that a hybrid version will follow 12 months later.
The M35 Hybrid features a Nissan-developed parallel hybrid powertrain with a difference. A 3.5-litre V6 is combined with an electric motor, but all of the components act on a single driveshaft to the rear differential, with a clutch between the electric motor and engine allowing full electric operation, with the motor also 'assisting' the engine under hard acceleration.
As you'd expect, the motor acts as a generator under braking and deceleration, scavenging usually lost energy. This is used to charge the new laminated lithium ion battery pack, which, claims Infiniti, is the same size as a conventional pack, but twice as powerful.
No performance or fuel consumption figures have been released as yet, though Infiniti is keen to stress that the M35 will retain its appeal to keener drivers while returning economy comparable to a 'compact C-segment car'. It remains to be seen how it will compare to Infiniti's forthcoming V6 diesel-engined M saloon.
Shane O' Donoghue - 7 Oct 2009