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Not long ago, I heard a sportscaster describe a stylish middleweight boxer as having everything but a punch.

I mention it here because it puts me in mind of the redesigned Infiniti G20t, the starter car in Nissan’s luxury division.

It’s got the moves of a real middleweight contender. But it’s a bantamweight in the power department.

One last athletic analogy: The G20 is a comeback kid, reappearing in the Infiniti lineup after a two-year layoff.

But unlike idle athletes, the G20 hasn’t gone flabby during its long vacation. Although slow sales led to its disappearance from the U.S. market, this same chassis has been under continuous development in Europe and Japan, where it’s known as the Primera sedan.

The result of that development, which includes a vigorous racing program, is a chassis that’s stiffer than its exemplary predecessor, with gratifyingly quick reflexes.

OK, the new car has gained a little weight — 48 pounds versus the original — but it’s also bigger. The wheelbase is 2 inches longer, and the body has been stretched by 3 inches.

Balanced against increased chassis rigidity and expanded rear seat legroom — a weak suit of the original G20 — that modest weight gain is a reasonable trade.

Easy handling

In any case, the new car answers its helm with real alacrity. The accurate steering delivers better-than-average tactile feedback to the driver. Body roll is minimal in brisk cornering. A limited-slip differential provides uniform power delivery.

A word on differentials. A differential is a mechanical device that compensates for the differing rotational speeds of the drive wheels when the vehicle is going around a turn.

To oversimplify a bit, a limited-slip differential eliminates — or at least sharply reduces — the tendency of the inside drive wheel to spin as a result of weight transfer to the outside wheel in hard cornering.

As a result, the car can make the most of available traction, which is particularly helpful in a nose-heavy, front-wheel-drive vehicle.

With its limited-slip dif — standard on the sportier “t” (for Touring) version, my test subject — the G20 delivers a little more grip and virtually no wheel spin as it claws its way out of a corner, which improves exit speeds and enhances the fun-to-drive index.

That’s one of the prime reasons for buying a car like this, and t or no t, the new G20 delivers — with that one important proviso: power.

Still 140 horsepower

Although its new chassis provides handling parity with some of the best in the small semi-luxury sport sedan class — the Audi A4, Ford Contour SVT and Acura Integra GS-R — the G20 just ain’t in the hunt when the road straightens out.

I find this mildly mystifying, particularly in view of the G20’s comeback quest. If the main rap on the original was its relatively modest power, you’d expect a little more snort in the revival e ffort, right?

But that’s not the case. Although Nissan has invested engineering bucks in refinements aimed at smoother operation and improved emissions performance, the G20’s 2.0-liter, four-cylinder — the same engine employed in the Nissan 200SX SE-R — delivers the same output as before at 140 horsepower and 132 foot-pounds of torque.

In contrast, the turbocharged 1.8-liter four in Audi’s gorgeous little A4 is rated at 150 horsepower, and the A4 weighs in lighter. Acura’s Integra GS-R sedan — 174 pounds lighter than the G20t — generates 170 horsepower, and the 2.5-liter V6 in the Contour SVT packs a hefty 190 horsepower.

The G20’s standard five-speed manual transmission makes the most of the engine’s power and provides unusually crisp shift-feel, but you don’t need a calculator to see that this car’s prime competitors have a serious edge in acceleration.

Add the optional four-speed automatic — $800 — to the package, and forward progress becomes even ore leisurely.

I’d also say that the G20’s cautious styling update looks a little chunky and thick in the waist compared with its prime rivals, but I understand the thinking behind the shape.

The folks at Infiniti have always characterized the agile little G20 as a sort of affordable BMW, and the profile continues to be strongly reminiscent of BMW’s popular 3-Series.

Inside, the G20’s design is consistent with other members of the Infiniti family: high-quality materials, good control location, attractively functional instrumentation and lots of standard equipment.

The cloth-covered bucket seats in my test car (leather adds $1,200 to the bottom line in Touring models) were firm, supportive, nicely bolstered and thoroughly comfortable. In fact, I don’t think they’d be out of place in a BMW.

Rear seat comfort is a slightly different story. Even with an extra eight-tenths of an inch of legroom, plus adjustments to the rear seat design, it requires cooperation from the front seat occupants to fit adults back there, particularly if you try to cram the car to its alleged five-passenger capacity.

On the other hand, few sedans in this size class are roomy. The G20’s 14.2-cubic-foot trunk swallows more cargo than any of its key competitors.

The G20 gets good marks for its passive safety features, which include side air bags for front seat passengers. Standard 5 m.p.h. bumpers should help cut down on repair bills in low-speed impacts, a feature that makes insurance companies happy.

And on the active safety side of the ledger, above-average agility plus an outstanding braking system, augmented by standard ABS, make this car an ally in emergency situations, particularly when the road is slippery.

Beyond its athletic character and pleasant road manners, the G20’s strongest appeal is its value.

The redesigned car rolled out of retirement last week with a suggested retail price of $20,995, including Infiniti’s standard $495 destination and delivery charge.

That’s almost $3,000 lower than the base price for a G20 in 1996 and also lower than the A4, Integra GS-R sedan and the Contour SVT. And as the data panel indicates, it includes a pretty good collection of standard comfort and convenience features.

My G20t tester, which added automatic climate control air conditioning, a limited-slip differential, slightly more aggressive tires, fog lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and the all-important rear spoiler to the package, carried a suggested retail price of $22,495.

That’s about the same as the Acura, but still a bit less than either the A4 or the Contour SVT.

Besides leather, there’s not much to add. A power moon roof costs $950; heated seats are $420.

And there’s also an intangible — Infiniti’s outstanding dealer service, which continues to set customer satisfaction standards that most of the rest of the industry wishes it could match.

As for the quality of the product itself, we’ll have to hold a rating until we’ve spent some time in a showroom-ready car. Even though the G20 is on sale, our impressions are based on a preproduction model.

However, it’s fair to add that even this preproduction tester was free of flaws. It exhibited the careful fit and finish attention that continue to distinguish most Nissan products.

In the end, it’s a question of what’s important to you in a car with sporty aspirations.

If agility and precise response are enough, you may find the G20 to be an exceptionally satisfying ride.

But if your idea of a sport sedan includes getaway go-power — that’s certainly my idea — the new G20 may be just a tad too tame.

SPECS

Rating: No rating for preproduction vehicles.

Vehicle Type: Front-engine, front-drive midsize luxury sedan

Key competitiors: Audi A4 1.8T, Acura Integra GS-R, Ford Contour SVT

Base prc : $20,995

Price as tested: $22,495

Standard Equipment: ABS, dual front air bags, front side air bags, AM/FM/CD/cassette audio, power windows, power mirrors, keyless remote entry, cruise control, tilt steering, variable intermittent wipers, dual illuminated vanity mirrors, 15-inch aluminum alloy wheels

Specifications:

(manufacturer’s data)

Engine 140-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder.

EPA fuel econ 23 m.p.g. city

31 hwy.

Curb weight 2,936 pounds

Wheelbase 102.4 inches

Length 177.5 inches

Width 66.7 inches

Height 55.1 inches

Where assembled Oppama, Japan