2003-2008 Infiniti FX35

When has anything else with such rounded-off lines looked quite so aggressive?

- Colin Ryan

The Infiniti FX was truly ahead of its time, not just from a styling point of view but also from a technical standpoint. The FX came out in 2003 when the majority of SUVs were still following the body-on-frame template and the word “crossover” wasn’t in such regular use. The few car-based crossovers were generally conservative—like the Honda CR-V, for example, sticking to a ho-hum front-drive Civic platform.

Infiniti, however, took a different route and built its first premium midsize crossover on a rear wheel-drive, sports-car foundation. This is the FM platform, which also serves as the basis for the Nissan 350Z and the Infiniti G35 coupe. FM refers to the front/midship location of the engine, placing it slightly back from the front axle and improving weight distribution and steering response.