Infiniti FX

May 5, 2008—San Diego—Convinced that the luxury SUV market will continue to grow and that horsepower is still king, Infiniti has brought out a bigger, badder FX. “A sports car with the power of a sport-utility,” executives say.

And power it has. The FX50—expected to be less than 15 percent of sales—has a new 390-hp V8 (303-hp V6 for the FX35). On the sport side, there’s a seven-speed manumatic transmission. As for safety, there’s lane-departure prevention, brake assist, and—an industry first—distance-control assist, which helps release the throttle and apply the brakes in congested traffic.

Target buyer: Male, 70 percent; age, early 40s; income, $140,000. Price: $41,000. Mileage: 18 city/23 highway. Competition: BMW X6, Mercedes M-Class.

—Joan Mooney