Owning a large. luxurious 4x4 is enough to give anyone a warm glow — but in the case of the Infiniti FX the glow is a reality.

Walk up to the car in the dark with the key in your pocket and the vehicle recognises that you are approaching and turns on all the interior lights.

It is a neat little trick, but it illustrates the level of detail being lavished on this mighty machine.

After four successful years as Infiniti’s icon and top-selling model in Europe, the Infiniti FX for 2012, which competes in the top flight of formidable 4x4s, is bolder and more distinctive than ever.

With prices starting at about £46,000, the FX boasts even more street presence than the outgoing version, thanks to changes to the front-end design, along with bold new colours and a new design of alloy wheel. Sporting appeal is reinforced on GT and GT Premium derivatives with a new five double-spoke design of 20-inch wheels.

The test model S version, with rear active steering among a long list of handling-oriented features, stays with its distinctively huge 21-inch wheels. The S specification is lavished on the more overtly sporting member of the FX range with smoked headlights, red S badging and dark chrome exterior air vent and sill strip.

If you find the suspension a tad too soft on country roads, a touch of a button on the centre console electronically firms up the dampers to give much more feel. The premium version delivers just about every possible piece of equipment imaginable, from leather seats that can be either heated or cooled, to a colour satellite navigation system that also delivers traffic alerts and even a weather forecast.

Every FX is equipped with Infiniti’s all-wheel-drive system, as well as a seven-speed automatic transmission which can also be operated by a pair of solid magnesium gearshift paddles on the steering wheel.

If you doubt the appeal of these huge vehicles then simply go and watch the morning run through North Oxford, where one day I found myself travelling behind an equally meaty Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Volvo XC90 and a Range Rover Sport.

The very next day I found myself in much the same place behind a Toyota Land Cruiser, and ahead of a mighty Mitsubishi Shogun.

All these vehicles are much more suited to the Serengeti than the Summertown school run, but the FX slotted in a treat.

It is a beast of a machine, but a shining addition to the Infiniti range.

 

Auto facts: Infiniti FX30d S Premium

  • Price: £52,390
  • Insurance group:
  • 47 (1-50)
  • Fuel consumption:
  • (Combined): 31.4mpg
  • Top speed: 132mph
  • Length: 486.5cm/191.5in
  • Width: 192.5cm/76in
  • Luggage capacity: 14.5 cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 19.8 gallons/90 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 238g/km
  • Warranty: 3 years/ 60,000 miles