THE Infiniti Q70 is the left field choice for those who would rather stand out from the crowd of premium saloons like the Mercedes E-class or the BMW 5 Series.

It comes hugely well equipped as standard, with just about everything anyone could wish already on the list.

There are three engine choices - a 3.7 V6 petrol with 320bhp and 26mpg, a 3.5 V6 petrol-electric hybrid with 358bhp and 45mpg, and a 2.2-litre diesel with 170bhp and 58mpg.

The diesel is good for an 8.7 second sprint to 62 miles an hour and a top speed of 137, while both the hybrid and the 3.7 V6 reach a claimed 155 miles an hour, and accelerate to 62 in an excellent 5.2 or 6.3 seconds.

But obviously, the petrol 3.7 is by far the thirstiest of the three and so for the best combination of performance and economy, my recommendation would be the very good hybrid, which incidentally, also comes with standard four wheel drive.

All are supremely hushed and refined, with no engine or suspension noise and just a slight swishing from the passing air thanks to double glazing all round. Road noise only becomes a very slight issue if the car is fitted with the optional 20 inch wheels.

They all have a standard seven speed automatic gearbox - which is just as it should be for such a top line car - and there's a manual setting for those who prefer to ring the changes themselves.

Comfort is truly excellent over any kind of distance and over all kinds of roads, matching similar cars in the same executive bracket without a problem.

Perhaps the best driver's car in the class is the BMW 5 Series but the Infiniti matches others like the Mercedes E-Class in just about every way.

Inside, all is elegance and top-drawer quality, with electrically adjusted, heated and cooled leather armchairs front and back.

There is plenty of space and very good legroom in the back, so that two adults can travel in style, and they come with a hard drive for all the music, front, rear and side parking sensors, a sunroof and a reversing camera.

They also have stability control, an alarm system, sat nav, traction control, LED headlights, multi-function leather covered steering wheel, a superb sound system, and Bluetooth that includes a phone connection and music streaming.

Infiniti has a very good reliability record over the years and customer service is second to none. Any problems should be fixed with minimum fuss and bother.

The whole car feels well built and very solid with superb materials throughout, and I think it easily matches most rivals.

Pay around £15,400 for a '14 14-reg 3.5h GT hybrid, or £19,250 for a '16 16-reg 2.2d Premium.