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Even though the luxury-car market is crowded and sales are moving slowly, Infiniti is adding one more model.

The 1993 J30 is a personal luxury sedan, which will be positioned in the Nissan Motor Corp. division’s lineup between the flagship Q45 and the lower-cost M30 two-door coupe.

“It’s not just a four-door version of the M30,” said David Holscher, general sales manager for Dreyer & Reinbold Infiniti. “It’s a whole new approach in design, with the car being wider, longer and heavier than the M30.”

Unveiling in the United States will take place right after the first of the year. To see the car, Indianapolis residents will have to journey either to the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, which will open Jan. 4, 1992, or to Detroit’s North American International Auto Show, which will open Jan. 7.

However, Dreyer & Reinbold will have pictures on display and brochures available at the Indianapolis Auto Show, which will open Dec. 26 in the Indiana Convention Center.

“They didn’t want to release it (the J30) until Jan. 1,” Holscher said. “And our show is in December. If it had been a week later, we might have gotten the car.”

The J30 was created at the Nissan Design International styling center in San Diego, Calif.

Exterior line have flow

The exterior lines have a lot of flow; they are integrated into one smooth form. And the theme is different from the traditional three-box concept of the Q45, G20 and M30. These models have three segments: front, middle and rear.

In the J30, the front and rear body edges are the same height, and the interior uses the exterior theme of soft lines and integrated forms.

William R. Bruce, vice president and general manager of the Infiniti Division, Carson, Calif., said at the announcement of the J30 that the car incorporates a balance of styling performance, comfort and safety.

“It’s going to be one of the safest cars in its class,” Holscher said. “They are filling the roof pillars with the crush-proof foam that is used on the Q45. It almost is impossible to collapse the roof.”

For the J30, Infiniti has dipped into mechanical componentry that parent Nissan has on hand.

Sedan powered by V-6

The J30 will be powered by a 3.0-liter, double-overhead-cam, four-valves-per-cylinder V-6. The engine is similar to the one used in the Nissan 300ZX, but the design is new to Infiniti. It will have Infiniti markings.

Race-engine design concepts guided the development of the J30’s V-6, which is rated at 210 horsepower. This car will have both acceleration and a high top speed.

Just one transmission is offered, an electronically controlled four-speed automatic that feeds power to a rear axle.

“Market-wise, this is something we’ve never had,” Holscher said. “It’s going to bring people in here that never have been here before.

“They are projecting a price of about $34,000, with it having the luxury features of the Q45. That will attract people who want luxury like this but are not interested in p aying over $40,000 for a car.”

8-way seats standard

In the J30, items like dual eight-way seats, a wood instrument panel, some wood interior trim, and leather are standard.

“There are a few things the Q45 doesn’t have,” Holscher said. “For instance, you’ll have a pop-up cup holder, and you will have dual air bags.

“Among the options is a telephone that doesn’t have an external antenna. If you get the Infiniti phone, the antenna won’t be visible. And you can put it in your pocket when you get out of the car.”

The antenna is laminated into the rear-window glass.

The J30’s analog gauges include speedometer, tachometer and temperature dials. But for some reason, the car’s designers have not included an oil-pressure gauge.

Car has analog clock

“There is a very unique, almost art deco, analog clock in the middle of the dash,” Holscher said. “It’s a big, oval clock that really looks elegant, and it’s a focal point.”

Based on design criteria tha t have been rele ased, drivers can expect an automobile that has sports-car handling with the ride characteristics of a luxury sedan. That has been achieved via a four-wheel independent suspension system in which the front and rear componentry is mounted on subframes that attach to the central body section.

While the J30 is to be debuted in January, it may not be available to the public until April.