Infiniti G Convertible (2009 - 2012) review

The Infiniti G Convertible is a guaranteed head turner, and not just because it’s a rare sight on the roads. Roof-up, the G looks like an elegant, curvaceous coupe and with the roof up it’s as sleek as anything else on the market. Some clever packaging of the roof means there’s no big hump at the rear. Alloy wheels and lashings of chrome completes the picture.

Infiniti benefits from its Nissan parentage which means high quality trim and features. The flip side is some of this is lifted directly from more humdrum models, but the quality of the fit and finish is very good. Our test car was fitted with red leather upholstery and red maple trim inserts which aren’t to everyone’s taste, although more conventional options are available. The seats are supportive and the controls are logically placed, although the keypad for the navigation is uncomfortable to use.

There’s plenty of space for two adults up front, but the rear seats are more cramped than those of the Audi A5 Cabriolet. There’s a decent amount of storage space in the cabin though, and it’s easy to find a good driving position with the seat and steering wheel both moving in every direction. The biggest drawback is the boot: with the roof up there’s 366 litres of space, but with the roof stowed space is virtually non-existent, although slim cargo can be slid under the boot floor. Worryingly there’s no mechanism to prevent the roof being folded with luggage in the way which could damage the roof and anything being carried.

The Infiniti G Convertible is a pleasant cruiser, but it lacks the rigid chassis of the BMW 3 Series Cabriolet and Audi A5 Cabriolet. That means the chassis flexes, shimmies and rattles over bumps with the roof up, and it’s even more pronounced with the roof down. This is exacerbated by the suspension which is sports car firm, something that’s at odds with the cruiser feel. The steering is nicely weighted and reasonably direct, but the flex in the chassis means it rarely feels happy cornering at speed.

Just one engine is available – a 3.7-litre V6 petrol. It’s a powerful engine, producing 315bhp, but its smoothness means the G never feels that fast. The on-paper figures beg to differ though, with 0-62mph covered in 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 155mph. Despite being a detuned version of the engine fitted in the sonorous Nissan 370Z, it lacks the pleasant noise expected. The engine is mated to a 7-speed automatic gearbox which can feel jerky at low speeds, and it’s not the slickest ‘box when using the steering column-mounted paddles.

The £45,000 price tag might sound more than a comparable BMW, Audi or Mercedes, but you’ll need to dig deep on the options list to match the Infiniti’s equipment list. It will retain about 42 per cent of its original price after 3 years/36,000 miles, which is less than the Audi A5 Cabriolet and about the same as the BMW 335i Convertible. It’ll cover an average of 25mpg, and emissions of 264g/km means it’s one of the most expensive cars to tax.

The quality of construction feels impressive, and the input from Nissan will give buyers confidence. Despite the small numbers it sells in, it never feels like a car from a tiny manufacturer.

The Infiniti G Convertible comes with a comprehensive list of safety equipment. Highlights include driver, passenger, side and front thorax and pelvis airbags, whiplash-reducing headrests, pop-up rollover bars and tyre pressure monitoring.

Just one model is available, and it is superbly equipped. Standard features include sat-nav, a rear park camera, electrically-operated heated and ventilated leather seats with memory function, Bluetooth, dual-zone climate control, a BOSE sound system with speakers in the headrests, electrically-operated steering adjustment, 19-inch alloys and bright bi-xenon headlights.

The Infiniti G Convertible will be bought for its looks and rarity value by most. As a cruiser for two, it fits the bill, as long as there’s no luggage to carry.