2009 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW.(NEWS)

BEST IN SHOW

Elegant, purposeful and promising sledgehammer performanceyet sensible economyfrom its 600-hp hybrid powertrain, the INFINITI ESSENCE takes AutoWeek's Best in Show honors by a good margin.

Other contenders may offer a new level of luxury or race-car style engineering, but the Essence wins because of its simple message to enthusiastsstyle, exciting performance and good fuel economy can be part of our automotive future.

The Essence builds on Infiniti's 20-year history to feed the brand's global ambitions with a more international styling theme, and we see more than a shade of classic European design in the Essence. Think Maserati, Jaguar and Ferrari.

We hear that Nissan will have the courage to make that gaping grille, the sculpted front end and dramatic headlamps the flavor of the next generation of Infiniti coupes and sedans. We applaud that.

Design chief Shiro Nakamura personally directed the unusual, scooped-out C-pillar. It's a bold feature, with overtones of another great sports carthe Ferrari 308, whose flanks featured similar deep sculpting.

The Essence also reinforces Infiniti's message that hybrid powertrains are coming to every model in its range over the next few years. Let's also hope that the 600-hp mix of a 440-hp 3.7-liter V6 and a 140-hp electric motor is high on Nissan's product plan wish list.