Infiniti Debuts New M Long-Wheel-Base

Infiniti has big plans for China, with cars soon to be built locally that will compete with German rivals Audi, BMW and Mercedes, who already produce cars in the country.Nissan's luxury brand took its first tentative steps with the debut in Beijing of the Infiniti M long-wheel-base model that comes with hybrid and naturally-aspirated engines. It has been specially developed for the Chinese market and come in M35hL hybrid and M25L models.The Chinese clearly have a penchant for spacious cars with plenty of legroom, which is odd for a country where the average height is 5'4'', five inches shorter than the Infiniti M LWB's wheelbase has been extended by.It now stands at 3,050mm, with all the extra space going to the rear passenger compartment as in China, vehicle owners prefer to chill in the back while being chauffeured around.The M35L hybrid links a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine to an electric motor that combine to deliver 359hp, and the M25L is powered by a 2.5-liter V6 gasoline engine with 232hp and 184lb-ft of torque."The Infiniti M long-wheel-base - available in M35hL hybrid and M25 normally aspirated versions - is the first high-end Infiniti luxury sedan tailor-made for Chinese customers," commented Nissan's Vice-President Andy Palmer."It strikes a perfect balance between outstanding performance and environmental sustainability and brings a new challenger to China's premium car market," concluded Palmer.