INFINITI ETHEREA CONCEPT

The folks at Infiniti say the new Etherea Concept is aimed at a new generation of younger buyers. At the same time, this compact new Infiniti provides a good glimpse at what the company may be building for the European market in the not-too-distant future.

“The Etherea is about a new type of luxury,” says Toru Saito, Corporate Vice President and Leader of the Global Infiniti Business Unit. “It is for younger buyers who do not want a smaller version of a typically conservative and traditional luxury car. It is for people who want a car that defines who they are, not who their parents were.”

So what exactly is the Etherea? Infiniti says it’s a no-compromise hybrid that offers lots of driving fun while maximizing driver pleasure. To that end, the Etherea is small, about 4 in. longer than a Nissan Versa, yet it has a highly sculpted shape and silhouette unlike any other in its class.

“The Etherea is completely different from current luxury compact cars,” explains Senior Vice President of Design Shiro Nakamura. “It is appropriate for a new generation of drivers who think of themselves as different. As an exploration into what a future entry-level Infiniti may be like, the Etherea is highly significant and a breakthrough in what Infiniti thinks about itself.”

Good Performance

Part coupe, part luxury sedan, and part sport sedan (in the way it’s said to drive), the new Etherea Concept employs a potent but highly efficient hybrid powerrain similar to that found in the Infiniti M35 Hybrid. A supercharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with 245 bhp is on duty underhood, aided by an electric motor and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that directs power to the front wheels, a first for an Infiniti hybrid.

As in the M35 Hybrid, the powertrain of the Etherea Concept is designed to use electric power often, both at speed on the open road and in the stop/start driving environment around town. This cuts CO2 emissions, which is the big issue in Europe, while not compromising the fun of driving. The suspension is independent all around, with regenerative braking and advanced drive-by-wire electric/hydraulic steering helping to further improve the balance between performance and ecological responsibility.

Pretty Profile

Designed in Japan, the Etherea doesn’t let beauty come at the expense of practicality. In fact, the Etherea even boasts a large lift-up tailgate, which is not readily apparent. While the long wheelbase and minimal overhangs amplify the car’s sporting presence, crescent-shaped C-pillars help to create the distinctive Infiniti signature. Further distinguishing the car are headlights whose LED daytime running lights are in the form of a crescent, a design characteristic that Infiniti says will be seen in future models.

What’s more, the Etherea is a spacious 4-seater with easy ingress/egress, thanks to four wide-opening doors, the pair in back hinged at the rear. This, together with the absence of B-pillars, creates a strong feeling of openness. A flat floor also adds to the car’s roomy feel.

Inside the car, the designers looked to the Japanese word “Hamon” for inspiration with the instruments. In “Hamon,” the ripples radiate outward when a pebble is thrown into a pond. In the Etherea, the dials radiate outward in a similar fashion from the central tachometer. It’s elegant, and complemented by kimono-inspired piping on the seats and striking vertical strips on the inside of the doors. The Etherea also marks the debut of Infiniti’s newest interior trim, a version of the parchment paper-style finish known in Japanese as Washi. The finish, called Kasane-Washi, has a new way of layering the paper to enhance its texture, which enhances the Japanese culture and craftsmanship found in the Etherea.