Driven: Infiniti G37 Coupe

Now the dust - or snow, perhaps - has settled after Infiniti's fanfare-laden UK launch, it's time for Nissan's luxury brand to answer the big, tough questions. In the case of the G37 Coupe, that's this: should you consider one over a BMW 330i?

And the short answer - the very short answer - is yes, you should certainly consider it. Click through the gallery to find out why.

First up, the coupe looks great. Especially in white. I'll admit it does just toe the line of appearing a little overstyled, a bit gaping about the face. But spend a few days with the G37 and all the neat, edgy Japanese detailing starts to shine through. It looks fresh and sharp and different, which should count for something in a sector that is, for the most part, blander than a potato sandwich.

And, with the tiny volumes Infiniti is expecting to shift in the UK, at least you'll know it's definitely your car when the ‘Would the owner of the Infiniti blocking the emergency access road please move their car' announcement comes over the Tannoy. 

We're driving the slightly-more-hardcore G37 GT S, which blends Nissan's 3.7-litre, 316bhp V6 with a limited slip differential, stiffer suspension and, slightly incongruously, a six-speed auto' gearbox with paddle-shifts (though a manual is offered, too).  It's a quick car, hitting 62mph in just under seconds and topping out at a limited 155mph.

It's a characterful drivetrain, the V6 nearly as graunchy and throaty as it is in the Nissan 370Z. Compared to BMW's mighty sixes, the engine feels distinctly old-school, but makes up for it by exuding a dose of muscle-car thuggery. It is, however, worryingly thirsty: in a couple of weeks of non-ballistic driving, we averaged just over 20mpg - in a 330i, you could expect 50 per cent better. 

The auto' box doesn't help matters in the economy department, and seems to blunt the V6's aggressive, rasping character, which cries out for a meaty clutch and short-shifting gearlever. A DCT-style flappy paddle affair would be a good compromise but, er, Infiniti doesn't have one yet.

But even with the limitations of the transmission, the G37 is an engaging thing to chuck about. There's good weight to the steering - if not quite the linearity of the 3-Series - and an unashamedly rear-drive feel to the G's responses that makes it feel very much the big brother of the 370Z. Though it lacks the delicacy of response of a 3-Series, the Infiniti makes up for it with good motorway composure and a nicely judged ride, firm but well-damped. 

And, though its £35k list price looks meaty, you get tons of kit as standard: leather and reversing cameras and much electronic stuff. The overall feel of the cabin is dead solid, if a little schizophrenic - but, perversely, that's part of the Infiniti's charm.

Because that's how the G37 makes a case for itself: by combining the boring, Teutonic stuff with a bit of quirkiness. True, it isn't quite as ruthlessly efficient and polished as its Audi and BMW rivals, but if you want a bit of personality with your reliability, it's worth a look. Not often you get to say that about a luxury Japanese car.