Sunday, February 21, 2010

Infiniti Presents Its First-Ever Diesel Models: EX30d, FX30d and M30d with 238HP 3.0 V6 Turbo Diesel

When the Renault-Nissan Alliance announced its decision to establish Infiniti as a global player, it was a no brainer that in order to succeed in key markets like Europe, the luxury brand had to offer buyers the option of a diesel engine, especially on SUV/Crossover models where diesel represents the bulk of sector sales.

And true enough, Infiniti has now presented its first ever diesel engine with the arrival of a newly developed 3.0-litre V6 that will be launched this year in Europe on the EX and FX SUVs as well as the M sedan.

Designated V9X, the new 238HP V6 diesel has been developed in Europe by Infiniti engineers working with other engineers from Renault and Nissan and it can be used to power front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive models. It is manufactured in Cleon in France, some 100km west of Paris.

Renault premiered its version of the 3.0-liter V6 dCi turbo diesel in the Laguna Coupe at the 2008 Paris Motorshow, in October. On this model it produces 235HP and 450 Nm (332.9 lbs-ft) of torque.