INFINITI may still be a brand that's alien to most people, but once you see one of their models it's hard to forget them.

The luxury arm of Nissan, they have been going down a storm in America for years and now they have hit the streets of the UK in the last few years.

There is an American look to Infinitis, all bulges and curves with eye-catching alloys and powered by big engines that deliver plenty of pace. The big hybrid saloon has an imposing presence with a luxurious look on the outside and sumptuous comfort on the inside.

The wood, leather and brushed aluminium combinations put you in mind of the luxurious Jags, while the instrumentation and switchgear are of the highest quality.

Like many cars of this type it also has a neat retro touch with the analogue clock in the centre of the dashboard that it is otherwise surrounded by high tech touch screen wizardry. Badged as Infiniti Direct Response Hybrid performance ranges from silent, emissions-free gliding to brutally quick acceleration.

The sports car like performance comes from the 3.5 litre V6 engine combining with the big electric motor to produce 364PSand seamless seven-speed transmission.

Not the point of hybrids you might think, but carbon emissions are significantly reduced from the petrol only version and economy proved an eye opener, with the big car delivering into the early 30s mpg according to the onboard computer. A bit short of the claimed figure of just over 40mpg, but pretty impressive anyway for such a big ca and engine.

The car hits 62mph from a standing start in just 5.5 seconds, real sports car territory, while pumping out emissions of just 162g/km.

There are four drive modes, eco, standard, sport and snow, all of which are self explanatory.

But the good bit is that the electric motor works at much higher speeds thanks to features such as a double clutch system that allows decoupling of the V6 engine, so the electric motor goes further for longer and at higher speeds than other hybrids I have tried.

Even on the motorway, take you foot off the accelerator and the car 'coasts' on electric power only, even at high speeds, thus saving more fuel.

Handling and grip were also a revelation during unseasonal snowy weather and a combination of winter tyres and 'snow' setting which altered the driving dynamics meant the car felt as stable as any front wheel drive car and some all wheel drive.

And despite its sporty credentials, the ride has the comfort you would expect from a luxury car.

The technology is also cutting edge and the difference with this car compared to many of its competitors is that there are only two versions, GT and GT Premium, but both include exceptional levels of standard kit - starting at around £42,000 for the GT and £46,000 for the Premium and without the need for a list of expensive optional equipment.

The GT offers premium leather upholstery, heated and ventilated climate-control front seats, hand-buffed high gloss Japanese White Ash wood trim , bi-xenon adaptive front lighting system (AFS) cornering headlights with washer, hard disk drive music system.

The Premium adds blind spot warning , intelligent cruise control and forward collision warning to name but a few. It also adds a 30GB HDD navigation system with high-res 3D graphics and Michelin Guide information 16-speaker Bose Premium surround sound music system.

It is also a safe car with the full set of passive and active safety equipment together with pedestrian alert technology.