New Inifiniti G Series Photographs Dazzle But The Real Story Is In the Powertrains

Photographers from Car and Driver magazine have snapped some stunning pictures of the next generation Infiniti G saloon which bears a striking resemblance to the M sedan and the EX37 crossover. This first look at the sister model to Nissan’s Japanese-market Skyline shows that the luxury wing of the company hasn’t lost the innovative edge that has made the Infiniti G the mid-sized premium sedan on the market. Still yet to be seen are the upcoming coupe and convertible variants of the G series (two lines that have proven themselves to be very important to Infiniti over the past few years), so keep your eyes peeled for that.

The new G series also follows the design patterns set by the Essence concept, with its double-arched grille, extended headlights and crescent C-pillar. This is telling of the company’s shift of focus towards bringing the G series up to par with the rest of their sophisticated line as the next generation of the G strives to be the front-wheel-drive entry-level sedan (with an electric vehicle coming later) of Infiniti.

G Series Architecture

But perhaps more important than looks is how the car will run. Following the progression that Nissan and Infiniti have taken with the 370Z (amongst many other models), the G series will continue the evolution of the front-engine/rear-wheel-drive platform. The sound architecture of the car will no doubt be up to Infiniti’s previous high standards, with rear- and all-wheel drive variants promising to please…but the real treat coming with the new powertrain features.

G Series Powertrain

Nissan’s universal 3.7-liter V-6 power will be routed into the rear-wheel drive (though with all-wheel options) by a 7-speed automatic transmission. While some are hoping that the 6-speed manual and rev-matched downshifts remain available for the coupe and sedan, you can certainly bank on the IPL version being stronger. Further, it looks like the G35h (Infiniti’s hybrid) will have a similar powertrain to the M35h.

In European markets, entry-level G series will come with petrol-four-cylinder engines with four-cylinder diesels also becoming available later on down the line. Speculation is ongoing about what will happen now that Infiniti has killed off the 2.5-liter V-6 G25, but turbocharging the mill of a gas-four-cylinder is leading the conjecture.

Infiniti G Series Competitors

The G series will be expected to continue to compete with the BMW 3-series as well as the Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz C-class, despite the Infiniti’s larger size. Expect further cross-shopping with the Cadillac ATS and CTS and the Lexus IS as well.

Helping the G series out in the highly competitive field is a decidedly anticipated showing at the Detroit auto show next year with arrivals in show rooms expected in the later part of 2014. Price point anticipations are slightly higher than the current G series ($37,800 USD), but the next generation is not expected to exceed $40,000 USD.