Having undergone an exterior facelift in 2006, changes to the FX35 and FX45 SUVs are minimal in 2007. The paint colour on the FX35’s 18-inch wheels has been changed from silver to titanium, and power folding exterior mirrors are now standard on the FX45.
Sharing its platform with the Nissan Murano, the FX is available as the FX35, with 3.5-litre V6, and as the FX45, with 4.5-litre V8. Both use a five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode and all-wheel drive, which runs at 99 per cent rear-wheel bias under most conditions, but will shift up to 50 per cent of power to the front wheels when necessary.
Features on the FX35 include 18-inch alloy wheels, variable intermittent wipers, rear wiper, rear spoiler, privacy glass, LED taillights, automatic Xenon headlamps, fog lights, heated mirrors, vehicle information system with seven-inch screen, rearview monitor, power tilt and telescopic wheel, driver’s side memory with key fob link, Intelligent Key, garage door opener, auto-dimming mirror with compass, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth hands-free telephone system, cruise control, heated leather seats with ten-way driver and eight-way passenger power adjustment, 60/40 folding rear seat, six-CD/MP3 stereo, tire pressure monitoring system, black roof rails and power sunroof.
The FX45 adds 20-inch alloy wheels, sport suspension, performance-tuned transmission, drilled aluminum pedals, tinted head- and taillamps, power-folding mirrors, aluminum roof rails, aluminum and rosewood interior trim, cargo cover, and cargo net.
Available options include navigation system, lane departure warning system, and intelligent cruise control.
Beautifully designed, the FX uses a sloping roofline that dictates only two rows of seats, and there isn’t a great deal of cargo space given the vehicle’s size, although the rear seats fold to take in oversized items. The FX45 is fast, and on both models, the brakes are rock-solid and handling is superb.
