Infiniti M35h Hybrid Price UK

Infiniti M35h UK Price announced

It’s not often we say it about a hybrid, but the arrival of the Infiniti M35h Hybrid is something we welcome. Why? Because it almost makes up for Infiniti not bring a V8 M to the UK and Europe.

Perhaps they think we’re all a bit too Eco-minded for something so outrageous? Either that, or they compared fuel prices in Europe to the States and decided no one could possibly afford to run a V8 on this side of the Pond. If they did, they may have a point.

Still, now we’ve got the Infiniti M30d on offer for those that do miles in their M, we can have the Infiniti M35h for those who like a bit more oomph. Or at least it’s the best we can get in the absence of the nicely growling, 420bhp V8 M56 on our shores.

The M35h offers an electric motor worth 67bhp to supplement the 302bhp, 3.5 litre V6 (note – no 3.7 litre here), all of it channelled to the back wheels through an electronically-controlled clutch (and a dry clutch between the two ‘motors’ to decouple).

And because the M35h can run for up to 50% of the time on the electric motor (well, in theory and with a very gentle touch), and on a trailing throttle at up to 87mph, it has official figures of 40.4mpg and 162g/km (which seem to have improved since Infiniti launched the M35h). You’ll never get those figures, especially not if you used the horses to hit 60mph in 5.5 seconds, but they’re the ones the tax man cares about.

But, relative to the M30d, the M35h is reasonably priced at £46,840 – just £1,200 more. Slightly less than the Lexus GS 450h SE-L we reviewed last month. It’s also more frugal and more swift than the M30d. And you can have one from April.

It looks worthy of consideration, but does beg the question: Why would anyone buy the M30d?

By Cars UK