2012 Infiniti G37 Sedan Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Infiniti G37 Sedan review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 G37 Sedan, and includes Infiniti G37 Sedan safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The Infiniti G37 Sedan is a genuine sport sedan, a rear- or all-wheel-drive midsize four-door with a powerful V6 engine and plenty of luxury and technology features.

The G37 Journey, G37x, and G37 Sport models can be painted Malbec Black this year. Otherwise, there are no changes as Infiniti’s popular G37 Sedan heads into its sixth, and likely final, model year before receiving a complete redesign. In other news, the Limited Edition’s sexy Monaco Red leather interior is dropped in favor of a more subdued Graphite hue, and this special version of the G37 Sedan is painted Black Obsidian and equipped with dark-finish 18-inch wheels for 2012. The Sport Appearance Edition model gets an upgrade to a Midnight Black grille treatment.

Infiniti offers the G37 Sedan in Journey, G37x, and Sport trim levels, as well as with Sport Appearance and Limited Edition option packages on the Journey and G37x.

The list of standard features is a long one, so we’ll stick to the highlights. The G37 Journey and G37x come standard with leather seats that are heated up front, eight-way power adjustment for the front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, and a six-speaker stereo with satellite radio, an auxiliary audio input jack, and a USB port. The G37’s cabin is decorated in real aluminum trim, and additional standard items include Infiniti Intelligent Key with push-button ignition, a HomeLink universal transmitter, a reversing camera, heated side mirrors, Xenon automatic headlights, and 17-inch alloy wheels.

If you choose the G37 Sport, you’ll get a loaded and dedicated sport sedan. It comes with a six-speed manual transmission, a viscous limited-slip differential, sport-tuned steering with a faster steering ratio, bigger brakes with four-piston front and two-piston rear calipers, a hand-operated parking brake, and 18-inch aluminum wheels wrapped in performance tires. The G37 Sport has subtle design changes in front, including unique headlights, and has a rear parking sensor system. Additional upgrades include sport seats with manual thigh extensions for the driver and passenger and power upper and lower side bolsters for the driver, aluminum pedals, a power tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel with an easy entry/exit feature, a memory system for the driver’s settings power moonroof, and synchronized seat and mirror adjustment. Infiniti Studio on Wheels audio by Bose, and a hard-drive navigation system with real-time traffic and weather reports and Infiniti Voice Recognition are also included.

Options are available only on the G37 Journey and G37x. Most are equipped with the Premium Package, which includes a power moonroof, the Infiniti Studio on Wheels by Bose premium sound system, a power tilt/telescopic steering wheel with entry/exit assist, seat and outside mirror synchronization, a memory system for the driver’s settings, and rear parking sensors. The Navigation Package is also a popular option, and includes a hard-drive touchscreen navigation system, Bluetooth streaming audio, real-time traffic and weather reporting, and Infiniti Voice Recognition technology.

The optional Technology Package includes intelligent cruise control, brake assist with preview braking, pre-crash seatbelt functionality, rain-sensing wipers, and an Advanced Climate Control System with a Plasmacluster air purifier. Infiniti G37 Sedan buyers can also get 18-inch aluminum wheels with all-season performance tires, and genuine Maple wood interior trim.

Finally, there’s the Sport Package for the G37 Journey and G37x. Why, you may ask? This is what people who don’t want a manual gearbox buy when they want a sportier look and, for the Journey models, enhanced performance. On both the G37 Journey and G37x, the Sport Package includes 18-inch wheels, unique styling details, front sport seats with manual thigh extensions and power bolster adjustments for the driver, aluminum pedals, and solid magnesium paddle shifters. Get the G37 Journey, and this package also includes summer performance tires, ventilated-disc sport brakes, a sport-tuned suspension, sport-tuned steering (RWD), and a viscous limited-slip differential.

Finally, Infiniti offers a couple of special “models” for 2012. The Sport Appearance Edition is available on both the G37 Journey and G37x, and includes the Premium Package plus a Midnight Black grille, a front chin spoiler and a rear decklid spoiler.

The Limited Edition is a little more comprehensive than that. It combines the Premium Package, Navigation Package, Sport Package, and Sport Appearance Edition with Black Obsidian exterior paint, unique dark finish 18-inch aluminum wheels shod with summer performance tires, and an exclusive Graphite leather-appointed interior.

A powerful, free-revving 3.7-liter V6 engine is installed in the G37 Sedan, and it makes 328 horsepower at a lofty 7,000 rpm as well as 269 pound-feet of torque at 5,200 rpm.

A seven-speed automatic transmission with Adaptive Shift Control, a Drive Sport mode, and Downshift Rev Matching is standard on the rear-drive G37 Journey and G37x with ATTESA ET-S all-wheel drive. The G37 Sport model is equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox.

All G37 Sedans require premium fuel. The G37 Journey is rated 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway, the G37x gets 18-city/25-highway, and the G37 Sport is good for 17-city/25-highway.

Every Infiniti G37 Sedan is equipped with four-wheel vented-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, traction and stability control, and six airbags. A reversing camera is also standard, and the G37 Sport has rear parking sensors. That latter feature is included in the Premium Package on G37 Journey and G37x, and those two models can also be equipped with an optional Technology Package that includes Intelligent Cruise Control, Brake Assist with a preview braking function, brake-operated pre-crash seatbelts, and rain-sensing wipers.

Unfortunately, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not tested the G37 Sedan since the government agency revised its crash-test standards last year. The only rating available is a 5-Star rollover resistance assessment.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) provides a clearer look at how well the G37 Sedan protects occupants in a collision. In the offset frontal-impact and side-impact tests, the car receives the top rating of Good. In terms of a rollover wreck, the G37 Sedan’s roof crush strength is rated as Acceptable. Unfortunately, rear-impact injury prevention is rated Marginal by the IIHS.

Ending on a high note, it doesn’t look like G37 Sedan owners need to worry about dependability, and both J.D. Power and Associates and Consumer Reports give the model a better than average reliability prediction.

According to the federal government, the Infiniti G37 Sedan qualifies as a midsize car, even if it competes in the entry-luxury market. The trunk, however, at 13.5 cubic-feet, is on the small side for a midsize car.

You might not care much, though, since you’ll be taking corners with gusto and it’s better to have the cargo tightly packed. That’s because the Infiniti G37’s engine is mounted right behind the front axle, in a front-midship location that provides a better-balanced distribution of weight and, therefore, better-balanced handling.

Infiniti calls the G37’s standard patterned aluminum trim “Shodo,” and says it’s look and texture is inspired by Japanese calligraphy.

Despite its age, the Infiniti G37 Sedan is one of our favorite entry-luxury models. It looks terrific, is roomy and comfortable, and sticks to the road like good German machinery. Plus, it’s quite quick and represents real value in comparison to some competitors. We’d like to see the rear-impact injury prevention score from the IIHS improve, and we think the G37 could benefit from some additional cabin refinement, but otherwise, this Infiniti is hard to fault.

By Christian Wardlaw