1997 Infinity Specs

• Infiniti's 1997 model lineup offers an assortment of vehicles for open road cruising.infinity express image by Scott Patterson from Fotolia.com
  
  Nissan created the Infiniti brand in 1989 to serve as their luxury division. Entering the United States market during the 1990 model year, the brand found stiff competition from the likes of Toyota's Lexus brand and Honda's Acura lineup. The 1997 model year was pivotal for the Infiniti brand as it marked a shift in the product cycle of their models. The full-size Q45 sedan was fully revised, and the mid-size QX4 SUV was a new model for this year. The front-wheel drive mid-size I30 was in its second year of production, while the rear-wheel drive mid-size J30 was phased out after the 1997 model year.
  
  

I30 Mid-Size Sedan

• The 1996 introduction of the I30 mid-size sedan marked a shift to front-wheel drive that would lead to the discontinuation of the J30 after the 1997 model year. The front-wheel drive I30 is powered by a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6 engine generating 190 hp at 5,600 rpm and 205 ft-lbs. of torque at 4,000 rpm. The I30's 3,100-lb. curb weight sits on a 106.3-inch wheelbase with a body length of 189.6 inches, width of 69.7 inches and height of 55.7 inches. The cabin of this mid-size sedan offers 99.6 cubic feet of passenger volume, while the trunk provides 14.1 cubic feet of cargo volume. Fuel economy for this vehicle is rated at 21 mpg city and between 26 and 28 mpg highway depending on if the model is equipped with manual or automatic transmission.
  
  

J30 Mid-Size Sedan

• The J30 mid-size offering had been around since the brand's introduction, and 1997 marked its last year of production. This rear-wheel drive model is powered by a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6 engine producing 210 hp at 5,800 rpm and 220 ft-lbs. of torque at 4,400 rpm. This vehicle's 3,500-lb. curb weight sits on a 108.7-inch wheelbase while its body measures 191.4 inches long, 69.7 inches wide and 54.7 inches tall. The cabin of this car provides 86.5 cubic feet of passenger volume, while its trunk offers 10.1 cubic feet of luggage capacity. This vehicle's V6 is mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox yielding 18 mpg city and 23 mpg highway.
  
  

Q45 Full-Size Sedan

• The Q45 full-size sedan offering was completely revised for the 1997 model year. This rear-wheel drive model is powered by a naturally aspirated 4.1-liter V8 engine that produces 267 hp at 5,600 rpm and 278 ft-lbs. of torque at 4,000 rpm. This 3,900-lb. model sits on a 111.4-inch wheelbase with an overall body length of 199.1 inches, width of 71.7 inches and height of 57.1 inches. The cabin of the Q45 has a passenger volume of 97.4 cubic feet, while the trunk provides 12.6 cubic feet of luggage room. Fuel economy for this model with its four-speed automatic transmission is rated at 18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.
  
  

QX4 Mid-Size SUV

• The 1997 model year marked the introduction of Infiniti's first sport utility vehicle, the Nissan Pathfinder-based QX4. The QX4 is powered by a naturally aspirated 3.3-liter V6 engine producing 168 hp at 4,800 rpm and 196 ft-lbs. of torque at 2,800 rpm. The Q45 has a 4,300-lb. curb weight and sits on a 106.3-inch wheelbase while its body is 183.9 inches long, 72.4 inches wide and 70.7 inches tall. The cabin of this SUV provides 92.9 cubic feet of passenger volume, while 38 cubic feet of cargo space is provided behind the second row of seats. This mid-size SUV and its four-speed automatic transmission yields 15 mpg city and 19 mpg highway.