2002 Infiniti I35; Name change tips off better stuff under the hood.(Brief Article)

The folks at Infiniti have come upon a formula we like: Stuff a high-horsepower engine under the hood, stiffen the chassis, tune the suspension for responsive handling and then outfit the cockpit with leather and wood accents and a great sound system. Then, just to make sure the buying public is paying attention, price the car below the competition.

That's the blueprint Infiniti used for its Q45 flagship sedan launched earlier this year, and now it repeats with the I35.

Note the marque's newest entry-level luxury sedan has a new name denoting the increase in engine size from 3.0 liters to 3.5. The 255-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine with 246 lb-ft of torque is the most potent standard powerplant in its class. Competitors in the entry-level luxury class range from the 210-hp Lexus ES 300 to the 231-hp Jaguar X-Type. In between is the Mercedes-Benz C320 with 215 hp, the Audi A4 with 220 hp and Acura's TL and BMW's 330i, each with 225 hp (Acura's TL with the Type-S performance option sports a 260-hp V6). The Lincoln LS has two more cylinders yet still develops 3 fewer ponies than the I35.

The I30 debuted in 1995 as a '96 model, with the second-generation bowing in 1999 as a 2000 model; it's the marque's bestseller. Infiniti sold more than 39,000 I30s last year and is on track for another near-40,000-unit year in 2001. The makeover of the '02 I35 is clearly evolutionary-ordinarily, it would be regarded as a midterm freshening rather than a new generation-but as with the Nissan Maxima, this revamp is more thorough than the usual facelift.

As has been the case since '95, the base Infiniti is built on the Maxima platform with an eye toward increased luxury in the I35. The '02 I35 shares the improvements made to this front-wheel-drive platform for the Maxima (AW, Cover Story, July 9), using the same basic suspension geometry tuned more for a luxury ride. The engine is shared, although the exhaust tuning is a bit quieter in the I35 than in its Nissan cousin-and the upmarket car makes 5 horsepower less as a consequence.

The exterior styling follows the new family ``face'' unveiled earlier this year with the Q45, includ-ing a restyled grille. Both the front and rear of the

car have been reworked, with new Xenon headlights (but not the Gatling-gun-styled lamps found on the Q) and new taillights dominating the changes.