by Joe LaMuraglia

The Bionic Cheetah Gets Sharper Fangs

I am in gorgeous San Diego, CA courtesy of Infiniti to test drive the 2009 Infiniti FX. The actual drive doesn’t occur until tomorrow but I was able to get my hands on the press kit early and wanted to share the photos with you before I share my driving impressions.
What’s New: – The original FX was code-named the “Bionic Cheetah” and was designed for the sports car enthusiast who had more responsibility (re: kids and stuff) in his/her life. It promised the driving experience of an Infiniti G35 along with the cargo capacity of an SUV and it largely delivered on that promise. The only this is; sports car handling in a SUV = ROUGH RIDE. The engineers worked on it during the last vehicle’s life cycle but it was still a less-than-luxurious ride experience. The new 2009 FX features an improved suspension we are promised a smoother ride.
The styling is also dramatically different up front with a fascia the seems heavily influenced by Japanese anime. I swear I’ve seen that mouth on some flying whale on television in Japan but then again I did drink quite a bit when I lived there. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but nobody can argue that the 2009 FX is unique.
The interior is where I anticipate there will be no disagreements. The upgraded materials, design and technology offered brings the FX firmly back into the luxury realm. Perhaps not tier 1 luxury yet but only seat time will allow me to pass judgment.
We’ll be spending a full day with the new 2009 Infiniti FX tomorrow and will post a full review soon after. In the meantime, enjoy the photos below.