The Infiniti FX50 Exterior

Infiniti FX50

The new Infiniti FX continues with the breathtaking exterior styling and “sports car proportions” that helped the original stand out from all other performance luxury crossovers on the market.  The FX blends the substantial lower body of an SUV with the long hood, stretched wheelbase, short front and rear overhangs, low overall height and elegant upper body more commonly found on sports cars – conveying its strong performance personality and breakthrough design architecture at a single glance.

For the new FX generation, distinctive side air vents have been added behind the front wheels.  Also, the front wheels have been moved 35 millimeters forward (from the previous generation FX) and the front track has been widened by 50 millimeters – providing an even more pronounced performance stance.

The FX’s design starts with a new front end appearance, led by a lustrous Infiniti signature double-arch front grille, standard fog lamps and Bi-Xenon headlights.  The FX50 also includes an automatic-on feature that switches on the headlights automatically on at dusk and a standard Adaptive Front lighting System (AFS).  This system automatically controls the lighting pattern and directional aim, based on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed (the headlights can swivel headlights up to 17 degrees).

The FX’s new flat blade windshield wipers and wiper arm design optimize aerodynamic performance – helping improve wiping performance at high speeds and reducing wind noise at high speed. A new rain-sensing feature automatically tunes the wiper pace and speed according to the frequency of the precipitation (as detected by sensors).

The new side air vents are also functional, allowing air to flow from inside the engine compartment to outside the vehicle, reducing high under-hood air pressure.  The side vents reduce front end lift by five percent for improved high speed stability. 

The Infiniti FX’s aggressive silhouette is highlighted by a strong front-to-rear shoulder line, “taut canopy” greenhouse with chromed window frames, rearward-sloping roofline, integrated rear spoiler and polished roof rails.  In the rear, the FX’s simple, bold appearance features LED taillights that extend beyond the body to help create aerodynamic down force and large dual exhaust outlets with chrome finishers.

The FX’s coefficient of drag has been improved to 0.35 from 0.37, with the engineers finessing even the smallest details to help manage airflow, including the front bumper sides, rear spoiler angle and taillight shape.

Under the FX’s polished, assertive styling is an equally advanced body structure.  FX utilizes the rigid FM (Front Midship) platform architecture used on the Infiniti G 37, G37 Coupe.  The FM platform offers sports car-like front-to-rear weight balance – 54/46 – for exceptional handling.  

Additional development was undertaken to reduce weight and enhance body strength.  For example, the FX’s aluminum front and rear door panels, which have the same strength and stiffness of conventional steel doors, are 20 kilograms lighter (total for all four doors), allowing the FX to maintain a power-to-weight ratio that is among the best in class. The FX weights 90 kilograms less in body structure weight alone.  The new FX’s body is also 1.6 times more resistant to twisting and 3.4 times more resistant to bending than the previous generation FX design.

The new FX utilizes Infiniti’s advanced “Scratch Shield” paint, a special “self-healing” clearcoat paint designed to maintain its gloss-level over time.  The paint “repairs” fine scratches, such as fingernail scratches under door handles, restoring the FX’s surface close to its original state.  The FX50 is offered in seven exterior colors.