We are above Los Angeles, negotiating the twisties on famed Mulholland Highway plodding through the tight right-handers and left-leaning switchbacks with absolute unflappability. The interesting thing about these negotiations is that the ride that is propelling us through the turns is not a car at all, but a crossover utility vehicle.

Backstory

Infiniti stayed close to their US home for the chance to show off their new EX 35 CUV, inviting journalists and enthusiasts of the brand the chance to give the EX a workout through the urban sprawl and excitement of Santa Monica, CA. It was an appropriate setting considering that the motion picture industry is located next door in Hollywood, and that the EX 35 has cameras that let you view virtually all around the car itself. But more on that later.

The Huntley Hotel near downtown Santa Monica with its uber-popular Penthouse lounge was the starting point for our journey. The route immediately had us cruising north on the Pacific Coast Highway, where once we turned onto Mulholland Highway, saw the road start to climb up toward the hills.

Aesthetics – (3/5)

When it comes to exterior design, capturing the essence of a brand is not easy. One thing about the EX is certain: it looks like an Infiniti — unmistakably so. The headlights and grille look like direct adaptations of those found on the G35. The hood is long and the stance rakish. The roofline is coupe-like, and the overall profile screams Infiniti.

Yet the EX35 isn’t beautiful like the original G35 Coupe, nor does it have the road presence of the FX. From some angles it looks awkward, and from others it seems almost generic. In many ways the EX is more interesting to look at than any of its competitors, but it would be difficult to call it prettier.

What it comes down to is this: if you want to get noticed, the EX will do more for you than a Ford Edge or GMC Acadia. The downside? It’s a lot more polarizing.

Performance (4/5)

The VQ35 Dual Overhead Cam 297-horsepower V6 was up to the task, easily downshifting the five-speed electronically controlled overdrive transmission where necessary to prevent engine bogging. Once we cleared neighborhood traffic, it was time to switch over to manual control of the automatic. The gearbox performed flawlessly on uphill stretches, and the downshift rev matching helped make the downhill flow more responsive.

A word about the five-speed automatic tranny: In a day where gas prices are fast approaching $4 dollars a gallon, we think the EX35, and its customers, would be better served with a six-speed automatic—or better. With members of the EX’s competitive set sporting such slush-boxes, it would only help the Infiniti brand to attract more conquest customers from those Lexus guys located in Torrance, CA.

We appreciate the handling of the EX35, which is a result of Infiniti employing a car-like chassis instead of what is normally found in an SUV or crossover. The EX’s rear-wheel-drive-based platform gives it a distinct advantage over most of its competition, which consists of front-wheel-drive-based models. With a double-wishbone up front, and independent multi-link design in the rear, and dual-flow pass shock absorbers and stabilizer bars on both ends, it’s no wonder the EX35 feels more like the G35 sedan. A high-riding G35, but a G35, nonetheless.

Cabin (4/5)

The interior of the EX35 continues the car-like theme, with wrap-around pods for pilot and passenger alike. Overall quality is comparable Infiniti’s latest G35 and G37 offerings — good, just not top of the pack. That said, the cabin is visually more appealing than anything else in its segment.

A traditional center stack houses the typical controls, including climate settings, an 11-speaker Bose premium audio system, and navigation, which is accessed through a push button control panel set off by a multi-controller wheel arrangement in the center of the cluster.

Technology (5/5)

Our test vehicle was equipped with the available technology package which includes the Lane Departure Prevention System (LDP) with Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), finally topped off by the Around View Monitor (AVM).

Lane departure prevention, like lane departure warning, employs the use of a “behind the rearview mirror” mounted camera that observes the EX’s position relative to lane markers. While the LDW system uses audible cues to alert the driver, the LDP system applies gentle brake pressure to opposite side tires to pull the vehicle away from an area the sensors feel might result in a departure from lane or road surface. In other words, if an equipped EX35 approaches the center line to the left of the driver, the brakes on the right side of the vehicle are gently applied which then causes the EX to physically turn slightly right. Our tests show this gentle and subtle movement is not only effective, but could potentially save lives.

The Around View Monitor system uses small front, side and rear-mounted cameras to give the driver a bird’s eye view of small children or obstacles located around the vehicle before moving. With technology that “stitches” images together in much the same way digital photos can be made into a panorama view, it appears as though a camera is mounted directly above the vehicle. Drivers are able to spot toys, pets, and potentially even their children lurking around the outside of the car. When in use (in most cases when the transmission is in reverse), the rather accurate camera view shows “sonar waves” alerting you to an obstruction. Far from a novelty, this feature actually works quite well. Our only gripe is the final output (see photos) is somewhat unattractive. Either way, it gets the job done and is an industry first.

Pulling forward into a parking space, we found that the parking assist warning lights and tones did not activate unless the “camera” button on the dashboard was pushed. On EX models without the AVM system, the warning indicators go on automatically. On an AVM-equipped EX35, (a $1950 option on top of the required $2150 Navigation package) we think it should work this way as well.

“Empty nesters” would probably be satisfied without the AVM package. Our wish though, would be for Infiniti to offer such items in an ala carte fashion because the deletion of the AVM also deletes the Lane Departure Warning, Lane Departure Prevention, and Adaptive Cruise Control features.

Figuring that the owners of the Infiniti EX35 will likely find themselves in close proximity to shopping carts, children with toys, baby carriages, mischievous teens and all the other joys of urban living, Infiniti has gone “borg” and pushed the boundaries of paint with new “Fluid Finish Technology.” A high-tech form of clearcoat, it works in a manner similar to the way the T-1000 in “Terminator 2” does: it has the ability to heal itself from small scratches and other blemishes that result from daily wear and tear. The process is one that can be described as glacial — in that it is dependent on the ambient temperature and can take anywhere from one day to one week to cure. But it shows another way in which Infiniti is thinking outside the box to increase long-term value in their products.

Additional technology is available in the form of a rear-view camera, adaptive front lighting and the previously mentioned Intelligent Cruise Control.

Bottom line

With Infiniti designing a crossover-class vehicle that handles like a car, it has succeeded in joining the ranks of Subaru’s Tribeca, and Volkswagen’s Touareg in designing trucks that are, well, not so truck-like. We only wish Infiniti put another five percent into refinement, and then the EX’s low pricepoint would really make it a standout.

Words and photos by Mark Elias

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