Infiniti reveals details about its new M luxury sedans

The new Infiniti M56 and M37 models will go on sale in early 2010, following their official launch at the Los Angeles Motor Show. A hybrid version, to be called the M35 Hybrid, is expected to be launched at a later date.

The M37 has a 3.7-litre aluminium-alloy DOHC V6 engine, with 330bhp, an increase of 27bhp over the 3.5-litre V6 engine used in the outgoing M35. The M56 meanwhile has a 5.6 litre direct-injection DOHC aluminium-alloy V8 engine that produces 420bhp, which is 95bhp more than the 4.5-litre V8 in the old Infiniti M45. The upcoming M35 Hybrid will feature a single electric motor/twin clutch arrangement with the first clutch installed between the 3.5-litre V6 engine and the electric motor.

All cars come with a seven-speed automatic transmission, while Intelligent All-Wheel Drive is available as an option, as part of the Sports Package that includes 4-wheel Active Steer (4WAS), sport-tuned suspension, sport brakes and 20-inch wheels and tires.

Infiniti says that despite the bigger engines, the new M will provide better fuel economy than before. This is due to the Infiniti Drive system that offers four different modes to "adjust throttle sensitivity and transmission mapping to help optimize performance." The four modes are Eco, Snow, Sport, and Standard. Sport mode allows a higher red-line and more power-optimized shift points, while Eco mode automatically adjusts the throttle for fuel economy.

The new Infiniti M also features a Blind Spot Information (BSI) system that alerts the driver to vehicles in the blind spot, and helps adjust the car back to the centre of the lane if it senses that a collision is imminent. Other new technologies on the Infiniti M include Active Trace Control, which adjusts engine torque and the control of braking at each of the four wheels to help enhance cornering performance and Double-piston Shock Absorbers that control damping force according to frequency of input from the road surface.