Infiniti M35 Hybrid to be Brands First

The third hybrid from Nissan will come from Infiniti as part of its new M lineup

Late to the party

From what we can tell here at LotPro.com, Nissan isn’t playing the hybrid game like its two Japanese rivals, Honda and Toyota. Where both those brands are major players, Nissan has yet to join in on much of the fun. Even now, Nissan seems in no hurry to expand its offerings which have been, to say the least, paltry.

The Altima Hybrid, Nissan’s only entry to date, was introduced in 2007 and auto buffs will be forgiven if they are unfamiliar with the model, since it is available in only 8 states (California, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine and New Jersey).

Earlier this year, Nissan announced that it would be producing the Nissan Leaf, a hybrid vehicle a bit larger than the Versa, for the 2011 model year.

Today, the company made it known that its Infiniti brand would join in the hybrid endeavor with the 2012 M35 hybrid.

2012 M35 Hybrid

Calling its latest vehicle “the cleanest and most economical car in Infiniti’s history”, the brand’s latest hybrid system will diverge from that found on the Altima in that it will be engineered and developed by Nissan (the current Altima uses a system licensed from Toyota).

Using a single electric motor and twin clutch arrangement with the first clutch installed between the engine (the company’s 3.5-liter V-6) and the electric motor, the setup will, according to Nissan, result in a more consistent driving “feel” between the various operating modes as well as improved “linear performance”.

As a pure hybrid, the M35 will be able to operate in all-electric mode (no figures have been given as to its all-electric range), “power assist” mode (for maximum acceleration) and gas-only mode with the electric motor acting both as a propulsion unit and as a generator for the new “laminated” lithium-ion battery pack.

Coming to an Infiniti dealer near you

The new 2010 Infiniti M35 is due to hit dealer showrooms in the spring of 2010, while the hybrid version will appear as a 2012 model a year later.

Images courtesy of Nissan

Tags: altima, altima hybrid, Honda, infiniti, infiniti m35, infiniti m35 hybrid, Nissan, nissan leaf, Toyota, versa