There seems to be an unwritten adage somewhere in the car industry, that if you're having trouble expanding your brand and you want to make a bit more money then just invent or acquire a new one. It has worked for Toyota with Lexus, and BMW just went ahead and bought in a few extra names like Mini and Rolls-Royce to pad out the company accounts.
Nissan has had its Infiniti arm for a little while now, but only recently started importing those cars to Europe. It depends which you look at it how hard that struggle will be - it might be difficult to establish something consumers have no experience of, but then it must just be easier to establish a brand that comes with no baggage. Only time will tell, but the products we've tried so far are plenty capable.
Nissan will have us believe that Infiniti is about performance first and then luxury second, unlike fellow premium rival Lexus. All well and good when we're looking at cars like the G coupe, but the FX is a hulking great 4x4.
Infiniti is certainly trying its best to make the FX look dynamic and sporting, however - all cars come with huge 21-inch wheels and the sort of head-turning styling that will bring Cheshire high streets to a standstill. The styling is just on the right side of self-parody, however, unlike Audi's obese Q7 for instance.
Inside, the FX is packed with equipment as standard and feels suitably upmarket. Space is surprisingly cramped - it will fit five people inside, but there are none of the SUV gizmos you'll find in more mainstream cars that make life easier. Legroom is restricted and the boot isn't the most capacious in the class.
Considering the huge wheels and sporting intent, the FX's ride is not as tragic as you might think. The going obviously tends towards firm, but it isn't distracting, and the driving experience does benefit. The steering is quick and assured through corners, although it falls short of car-like.
The 3.7-litre V6 and 5.0-litre V8 petrol engines are as much fun as their 316bhp and 385bhp might indicate, and the more sensible 3.0-litre diesel is smooth and torquey. If you're going to stick two fingers up to the environmental lot by going for a luxury SUV you might as well go for the 5.0-litre engine and have the most fun doing it.