Dejan Jovanovic, Sony Thomas and Imran Malik settle the score with an old favourite, the Audi Q7, taking on the latest stalwarts of the SUV field, the Mercedes-Benz ML 350 and the Infiniti JX35
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About 350 kilograms, 100mm, 23mm, and 15mm. That's how much heavier, and respectively longer, wider and taller the Audi Q7 is compared to the brand new Infiniti JX35 crossover. So why in the world are we pitting a heavyweight against a featherweight in what's clearly about to be a one-sided bloodbath?
Well don't look at us like that, like we're morons. It was in fact Infiniti's very own people who insisted that the JX35's closest and most formidable rival is, indeed, the Audi Q7. We choked on our fatayer at the crossover's local launch upon hearing that but then immediately realised that nobody else was laughing.
They're serious. So then we went and called the just-asnew Mercedes-Benz ML 350 to join in and sort of try to break up this pair if it gets too rough. There was surprise, there was disappointment, and there was only one winner in the end. And for once, it wasn't a Nissan GT-R.
Dejan's ML 350
The defining characteristic of the M-Class is that it drives like a car. You can electrically adjust your seat quite low, manually drop the steering wheel into your lap, and tootle along as if you were in a hatchback.
This is a very poised and leisurely feeling to have in an SUV, especially when you find out that everything, from the steady and straight braking composure to the minimal squat and dive during straight runs in the ML 350, mimics normal car behaviour.
But there is a problem, and it's all to do with the old "the bigger they are, the harder they fall” syndrome. And since the ML 350 weighs in at 2,150kg, that fall's going to hurt quite a bit. Stuttgart's recent spate of excellence — I loved all of the following in the last year or so: new C-Class, new SLK, C-Class Coupé, C63 AMG, any S-Class — may have raised my expectations too high.
The ML is slightly underwhelming inside, failing to elevate its cabin aura above the feeling you get even in a base C-Class. There is evidence of cost-cutting, and comparing some of the plastics to the stuff they source over in Ingolstadt and Munich is just not applicable here. Especially bad is a huge rolling cover for the cup holders, which is quite flimsy.
The digital gauges in the instrument binnacle are highly pixelated and nowhere near as bright and animated as the ones in the Infiniti, or as crisp as the Audi's display.
There is also no satellite navigation in our tester, and Mercedes will charge you for this optional extra. Satellite navigation simply has to be standard equipment in a large Mercedes-Benz — end of discussion.
Enough toys abound otherwise, but the car's On & Offroad Package, controlled by a knob on the centre console, is another omitted option in our tester. However there is a button controlling the blissful Airmatic suspension.
Although if you set it to sport, the body hunkers down and the suspension hardens, which is jarring over the road surface but keeps the car planted in the turns.
Comfort mode is considerably softer, and earns its name for the ability to cushion the ride. Even driving around like this, the ML behaves much more like a saloon car than its agricultural predecessor.
I don't see the point of a sport mode, since even these tasty AMG wheels and relatively low-profile tyres strike the perfect balance between safe dynamics and a comfortable ride quality.
Besides the plastic, life on the inside is pleasant and airy, aided by a huge twin sunroof, comfortable seats, and an excellent unhindered view. There is extra legroom in the rear compared to the old ML, but no third row seats.
One of my favourite features is the heated and cooled cupholders, which can toggle between scorching to icy in a matter of seconds. Sometimes you never know you need something until it's just there.
The ML 350 is a highly competent and handsome family hauler, typified by its car-like behaviour. But most surprisingly, I reserve the only real criticism for the 3.5-litre V6 engine, which I've gone on about many times before, touting it as one of the creamiest naturally aspirated V6s available today.
I shall now proceed to eat my words like a bowl of Alpha-Bits. Could you pass the skimmed milk, please? The engine is burdened with a lot of weight. It's rattly and uninspiring under full-throttle and tedious to listen to.
Don't get me wrong, the performance is great — 0-100kph in 7.6 seconds is perfectly fine — but mated to the inconspicuous seven- speed automatic, the V6 never once felt comfortable in its responsibility of behaving suitably for a Mercedes-Benz.
I'm just going to go out and say it, and trust me Daimler Middle East, this hurts me more than it hurts you. It felt like a four-pot… Could it be the fuel map? Was the run-in process botched? Speaking of botched, would you look at the styling on…
Sony's Infiniti JX35
Dejan doesn't know what he's talking about. A curve, according to Infiniti, is the perfect line. In that case, the Infiniti JX35 is a heck of a large perfect line. Right from the grille and the bonnet to the fenders and beltline, the JX is a carnival of curves.
Although some of these seem to have been put in there just for the sake of having them there, it must be admitted that the new Infiniti design language doesn't look as polarising as it does in the smaller FX or as downright revolting as in the gargantuan QX.
Moreover, the JX's curves do a pretty good job at concealing its substantial size.
And size is something that really matters when a potential customer in this segment makes a decision.
The JX fills a niche — that of a sevenseater crossover — in the Infiniti lineup that the carmaker thinks is a crucial one. The moment you step inside the roomy cabin, you realise that Infiniti has delivered on its promise of a true sevenseater.
The JX offers generous amounts of leg and headroom in the front and second row seats, while the third row seats are more than just ornamental. The cabin ergonomics are smartly designed to allow maximum flexibility.
With the second row seats sliding easily forward, getting in and out of the third row is no longer a pain. However, the back seats are still better suited for kids than for adults, especially for long trips.
If the three rows of seats and the luxuriously appointed interior don't prove deal-clinchers, then the staggering amount of standard safety and convenience features packed into the JX will.
Our test car came with remote engine start, intelligent cruise control, forward and back-up collision intervention, which not only alerts you but even brings the car to a complete halt if a possible collision is detected.
It feels creepy initially as the car stops itself at lights without you touching the brake pedal. It's a brilliant safety feature, but will take some getting used to.
Then there are the usual tricks that have come to be expected in high-end cars now, like a lane departure warning and prevention system, blind spot warning and a host of other driving assistance technologies.
Coming to the drivetrain, for some reason Infiniti chose to stick the old 3.5-litre V6 in there rather than the updated 3.7-litre unit.
Don't expect any kind of sportiness from this lump, even in Sport mode, which allows you to pretend it's a manual.
Although paired with a CVT gearbox it doesn't have the usual strained drone you'd expect to hear in such a setup. And thanks to the same platform that underpins the Maxima, the JX's handling is a lot better than other SUVs in Infiniti's line-up. Come to think of it, it's better even than…
About 350 kilograms, 100mm, 23mm, and 15mm. That's how much heavier, and respectively longer, wider and taller the Audi Q7 is compared to the brand new Infiniti JX35 crossover. So why in the world are we pitting a heavyweight against a featherweight in what's clearly about to be a one-sided bloodbath?
Well don't look at us like that, like we're morons. It was in fact Infiniti's very own people who insisted that the JX35's closest and most formidable rival is, indeed, the Audi Q7. We choked on our fatayer at the crossover's local launch upon hearing that but then immediately realised that nobody else was laughing.
They're serious. So then we went and called the just-asnew Mercedes-Benz ML 350 to join in and sort of try to break up this pair if it gets too rough. There was surprise, there was disappointment, and there was only one winner in the end. And for once, it wasn't a Nissan GT-R.
Dejan's ML 350
The defining characteristic of the M-Class is that it drives like a car. You can electrically adjust your seat quite low, manually drop the steering wheel into your lap, and tootle along as if you were in a hatchback.
This is a very poised and leisurely feeling to have in an SUV, especially when you find out that everything, from the steady and straight braking composure to the minimal squat and dive during straight runs in the ML 350, mimics normal car behaviour.
But there is a problem, and it's all to do with the old "the bigger they are, the harder they fall” syndrome. And since the ML 350 weighs in at 2,150kg, that fall's going to hurt quite a bit. Stuttgart's recent spate of excellence — I loved all of the following in the last year or so: new C-Class, new SLK, C-Class Coupé, C63 AMG, any S-Class — may have raised my expectations too high.
The ML is slightly underwhelming inside, failing to elevate its cabin aura above the feeling you get even in a base C-Class. There is evidence of cost-cutting, and comparing some of the plastics to the stuff they source over in Ingolstadt and Munich is just not applicable here. Especially bad is a huge rolling cover for the cup holders, which is quite flimsy.
The digital gauges in the instrument binnacle are highly pixelated and nowhere near as bright and animated as the ones in the Infiniti, or as crisp as the Audi's display.
There is also no satellite navigation in our tester, and Mercedes will charge you for this optional extra. Satellite navigation simply has to be standard equipment in a large Mercedes-Benz — end of discussion.
Enough toys abound otherwise, but the car's On & Offroad Package, controlled by a knob on the centre console, is another omitted option in our tester. However there is a button controlling the blissful Airmatic suspension.
Although if you set it to sport, the body hunkers down and the suspension hardens, which is jarring over the road surface but keeps the car planted in the turns.
Comfort mode is considerably softer, and earns its name for the ability to cushion the ride. Even driving around like this, the ML behaves much more like a saloon car than its agricultural predecessor.
I don't see the point of a sport mode, since even these tasty AMG wheels and relatively low-profile tyres strike the perfect balance between safe dynamics and a comfortable ride quality.
Besides the plastic, life on the inside is pleasant and airy, aided by a huge twin sunroof, comfortable seats, and an excellent unhindered view. There is extra legroom in the rear compared to the old ML, but no third row seats.
One of my favourite features is the heated and cooled cupholders, which can toggle between scorching to icy in a matter of seconds. Sometimes you never know you need something until it's just there.
The ML 350 is a highly competent and handsome family hauler, typified by its car-like behaviour. But most surprisingly, I reserve the only real criticism for the 3.5-litre V6 engine, which I've gone on about many times before, touting it as one of the creamiest naturally aspirated V6s available today.
I shall now proceed to eat my words like a bowl of Alpha-Bits. Could you pass the skimmed milk, please? The engine is burdened with a lot of weight. It's rattly and uninspiring under full-throttle and tedious to listen to.
Don't get me wrong, the performance is great — 0-100kph in 7.6 seconds is perfectly fine — but mated to the inconspicuous seven- speed automatic, the V6 never once felt comfortable in its responsibility of behaving suitably for a Mercedes-Benz.
I'm just going to go out and say it, and trust me Daimler Middle East, this hurts me more than it hurts you. It felt like a four-pot… Could it be the fuel map? Was the run-in process botched? Speaking of botched, would you look at the styling on…
Sony's Infiniti JX35
Dejan doesn't know what he's talking about. A curve, according to Infiniti, is the perfect line. In that case, the Infiniti JX35 is a heck of a large perfect line. Right from the grille and the bonnet to the fenders and beltline, the JX is a carnival of curves.
Although some of these seem to have been put in there just for the sake of having them there, it must be admitted that the new Infiniti design language doesn't look as polarising as it does in the smaller FX or as downright revolting as in the gargantuan QX.
Moreover, the JX's curves do a pretty good job at concealing its substantial size.
And size is something that really matters when a potential customer in this segment makes a decision.
The JX fills a niche — that of a sevenseater crossover — in the Infiniti lineup that the carmaker thinks is a crucial one. The moment you step inside the roomy cabin, you realise that Infiniti has delivered on its promise of a true sevenseater.
The JX offers generous amounts of leg and headroom in the front and second row seats, while the third row seats are more than just ornamental. The cabin ergonomics are smartly designed to allow maximum flexibility.
With the second row seats sliding easily forward, getting in and out of the third row is no longer a pain. However, the back seats are still better suited for kids than for adults, especially for long trips.
If the three rows of seats and the luxuriously appointed interior don't prove deal-clinchers, then the staggering amount of standard safety and convenience features packed into the JX will.
Our test car came with remote engine start, intelligent cruise control, forward and back-up collision intervention, which not only alerts you but even brings the car to a complete halt if a possible collision is detected.
It feels creepy initially as the car stops itself at lights without you touching the brake pedal. It's a brilliant safety feature, but will take some getting used to.
Then there are the usual tricks that have come to be expected in high-end cars now, like a lane departure warning and prevention system, blind spot warning and a host of other driving assistance technologies.
Coming to the drivetrain, for some reason Infiniti chose to stick the old 3.5-litre V6 in there rather than the updated 3.7-litre unit.
Don't expect any kind of sportiness from this lump, even in Sport mode, which allows you to pretend it's a manual.
Although paired with a CVT gearbox it doesn't have the usual strained drone you'd expect to hear in such a setup. And thanks to the same platform that underpins the Maxima, the JX's handling is a lot better than other SUVs in Infiniti's line-up. Come to think of it, it's better even than…
