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Infiniti QX4 Has Best Ride, Magazine Says

4 February 1998

Infiniti QX4 Has Best Ride, Magazine Says

    CHICAGO, Feb. 4 -- The Infiniti QX4 luxury sport-utility
vehicle has been presented with Machine Design magazine's "Best Ride" award
following rigorous competition among 19 SUVs over demanding on- and off-road
courses.
    In addition to being named overall winner, the QX4 also won the
competition in the popular medium-size category.  Infiniti is the luxury
division of Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A.
    "This award adds to the accolades the QX4 has received since it was
introduced in the 1997 model year," said Olga Reisler, regional vice president
for Infiniti Division's Central Region, with headquarters in Naperville, Ill.
"The QX4 was developed to merge rugged, off-road capabilities with the
refinement and style required by today's luxury-vehicle customers.
    "This award proves we reached that target," Reisler added.  The QX4
captured top honors in the 1997 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality
Study with a ranking of Best Compact Sport Utility Vehicle.
    The Machine Design Best Ride judging took place at the Dana Corp. test
facility in Ottawa Lake, Mich.  The judges, who included Machine Design
editors and industry observers, evaluated each vehicle on highway-like
surfaces and an off-road course that featured moguls, rock-strewn unpaved
roads, a decreasing-radius figure-eight dirt track and a 40-percent grade
unpaved hill.
    "They (Infiniti) wanted the QX4 to have the ride and performance
comparable to the rest of their lineup of luxury cars, along with the added
versatility and all-terrain security of the best off-road vehicles," Machine
Design said in its Jan. 15 issue describing the competition.  "And according
to the Best Ride judging, they succeeded in developing a sport-ute with a
superb ride."
    The QX4, priced under $40,000, offers an abundance of standard equipment
including unique MonoFrame(TM) body construction, a stylish exterior design, a
luxurious interior cabin and an advanced All-Mode 4WD(R) system.
    That system is unique to the QX4, and was developed to enhance traction
and stability and to react more quickly than any other four-wheel-drive system
in off-road conditions.  The system offers drivers the opportunity to choose
the drive mode most appropriate for a particular driving surface.  A driver
may choose the "Auto" setting in which the system automatically directs an
appropriate level of engine power to axles depending on wheel slippage,
throttle opening and road speed.  The result is enhanced handling in a variety
of driving situations.
    "Besides having the best ride," the magazine wrote, "the QX4 also
impressed the judges with its quietness, powerful engine and responsive brakes
and ABS (antilock braking system).  And of the mid-size SUVs tested, it seemed
to be the one that really did handle more like a car than a truck."
    Infiniti is supported by a network of more than 145 retailers.  Customer
satisfaction has always been a key component of Infiniti's commitment to
customer service.  Infiniti introduced The Total Ownership Experience(R) (TOE)
customer care philosophy as part of its continuing dedication to providing
exceptional consumer treatment and service.  With TOE, Infiniti is leading the
way into the next century.  For information on the complete line of Infiniti
luxury vehicles and TOE, visit Infiniti online at http://www.infinitimotors.com.

SOURCE  Nissan North America, Inc.