THERE are a large number of premium SUVs chasing sales in the market at the moment - the rarest of them being the Infiniti FX.

Infiniti is the prestige brand of Nissan in the same way as the more established Lexus is the luxury arm of Toyota.

Fairly new to the UK, Infiniti is busy building its image and opening new dealerships but at the moment the Glasgow outlet serves the whole of Scotland while there are other outlets in London, Reading, Birmingham, Stockport and Leeds.

I have just tried the impressive FX which stands out from the crowd because of its swoopy styling inside and out.

You will either be attracted to its curvy styling or not but you won't be able to argue about its quality.

In the US and the Middle East where Infiniti is well established, the FX is fitted with a gas-gazzling 5.0-litre petrol engine V8 which boasts huge performance.

There is no way this would sell in the UK, so this car was fitted with the more frugal V6 3.0-litre diesel which still offers plenty punch.

Top speed is 132mph and you can sprint to 62mph in just 8.3 seconds. That is certainly enough performance for most people.

Combined fuel consumption is a claimed 31.4mpg but expect about 27mpg in real conditions.

Being a premium product the Infinit FX offers a huge range of standard features including intelligent all-wheel-drive, the Infiniti safety shield which has lane departure and warning prevention, frontal collision warning and intelligent brake assist.

You also get bi-xenon adaptive cornering headlights, fully luxury leather upholstery, electrically adjustable heated and ventilated front steats with memory, I-key smart access and welcoming lights along with rear privacy glass and an electric glass sunroof.

The paintwork is scratch-shield and self-repairing and you also get continuous damping control and stunning 21-inch alloy wheels.

Inside there is an 11-speaker Bose sound system, HDD navigation with touch screen technology, a 10GB Music Box and full Connectiviti package.

The instruments are all clear and well placed and the  build quality is excellent.

There is not as much space as you would get in the Range Rover or Audi Q7 for either passengers or luggage. With the rear seats in place you get 400 litres but with them folded you can utilise 1,300 litres.

I didn't manage to get off-road with the FX but few of its owners ever will. The ride and handling provided a surprisingly sporty drive for such a large vehicle and the steering is well-weighted and the brakes strong.

A camera system helps you reverse into tight spots and the FX certainly causes a stir wherever it goes.

At £50,759 the FX is certainly not cheap and it is surprising that you need to add another £679 to that figure to get metallic paint.