The Infiniti EX35 crossover vehicle has been named as this year’s ‘Best Compact SUV’ (sports utility vehicle) by CAR Middle East magazine which is one of the region’s leading enthusiast automotive publications.

'When we road tested the EX35 earlier in the year, we were surprised at its agility – it felt more like a sporty hatchback than a high riding SUV. And although it’s more at home on the black stuff, it won’t turn its nose up at blasting along a wadi bed,' commented Tom Bird, CAR Middle East’s editor.

'We launched the EX35 across the region from March 2008 and we are delighted with the customer response so far. I’m sure the addition of this wonderful endorsement will encourage even more potential customers to visit their Infiniti dealers to discover what an inspired drive the EX35 is,' said Abhijeet Pandit, general manager, Infiniti Business Unit Middle East.

The Infiniti EX was the highest-ranked model in initial quality in the ‘entry premium vehicle segment’ in the 2008 J D Power & Associates Initial Quality Survey. The Initial Quality Study ranks new vehicle quality measured after 90 days of ownership across vehicles sold in the USA.

Infiniti’s Middle East product lineup includes models such as the Infiniti G Sedan and Coupe, Infiniti EX35 crossover, Infiniti FX performance crossover, the M35/45 mid-size performance sedan and the QX56 full-size luxury SUV.

The company's sales in the GCC have grown from approximately 4000 vehicles in 2005, to 5000 in 2006, 7000 in 2007 and in 2008 they are expected to be in excess of 11,000 vehicles.-TradeArabia News Service