KansasCity.com's view

After two years, Infiniti once again has a G20 compact sports sedan.

The 1999 model, based on the European Primera, officially goes on sale today at $20,995 for the standard model and $22,495 for the Touring.

It slots in under the I30, QX4 and Q45, and gives Infiniti an attractively priced four-door for drivers who want a nimble four-door with coupe-like performance and handling. Infiniti is the American luxury division of Nissan.

The Touring package includes a rear spoiler, limited-slip differential, fog lights, performance tires, automatic climate control and leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The 140-horse engine, a 2.0-liter twin-cam 4-cylinder with four valves per cylinder, certainly feels robust. It loves to be revved, and does so with considerable enthusiasm. On hot days, the air conditioner seemed to siphon off some low-speed responsiveness, but once the revs were up around 3,000 rpm, acceleration was peppy. While not as quick as Ford’s SVT Contour, the G20 still scoots right along, and is rated at 23 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.

The 5-speed manual gearbox is the perfect partner for this engine, and its shift linkage has a direct, positive action which enables the driver to slice through the gears with precision.

The light, nicely weighted clutch engages smoothly and contributes to the transmission’s sweet shifting.

G20s have always had a reputation for excellent handling and balance, and the new model is even better than the old one. The Multi-Link Beam rear suspension is similar to that of the I30, and Infiniti says this design helps keep the rear wheels upright during cornering and limits the amount of body lean in turns. Well, it seems to work, because no matter how hard I tried, I could not upset its composure in a turn.

From the outside, the new car bears a strong family resemblance to the previous G20, except for lower body panels which are more aggressive. The Touring model, which is the car I drove, adds a trunk-mounted spoiler. Fifteen-inch alloy wheels are standard but the tires are lower-profile on the Touring model.

Even though the G20 is a compact sedan, it doesn’t feel like it once you’re settled inside. The 102.4-inch wheelbase is two inches longer than the old G20, and that results in a cabin with increased rear-seat comfort. Legroom is less than an inch greater, but the hip point has been moved back 1.4 inches, which meant I could sit back there comfortably. Bigger back doors making it easier to get in and out. A split-folding back seat is handy for hauling, but the pass-through from the trunk to the back seat is pretty narrow.

To put its size in perspective, interior volume is slightly greater than the Audi A4 or BMW 318i.

Front seats, replete with side-impact airbags, are essentially the same as those in the QX4 sport-utility.

The instrument panel is simple and logically laid out. Both the heating/cooling controls and radio are located up high in the dash, where they are angled slightly toward the driver to make them easy to reach. Things the driver touches dozens of times each day, such as the turn signals and radio buttons, have a quality feel.

A single cupholder in the center console is so close to the dash that tall cups barely fit, and another is located inside the little console between the seats. Neither is conveniently placed, and both are hard to use.

Back-seat passengers have dual cupholders in the pull-down center armrest.

The G20 is important for Infiniti because it gives buyers a sporty sedan at a price that is considerably less than the I30. Plus, it will pull in younger buyers who might move up to other products in the future.

Price

The base price of the Touring model I drove is $22,495. Our test car was equipped with power moonroof, leather seats and the convenience package.

The sticker price was $24,645.

Warranty

The basic warranty is for fou years or 60,000 miles.

Vehicles for The Star’s week-long test drives are supplied by the auto manufacturers.

Point: Bringing back the G20 is a smart move because it gives Infiniti a compact sports sedan with excellent handling and an attractive price.

The interior, especially the back seat, is bigger now.

Counterpoint: Cupholders in front are poorly placed.

SPECIFICATIONS:

ENGINE: 2.0-liter, 4-cyl.

TRANSMISSION: 5-speed

WHEELBASE: 102.4 inches

CURB WEIGHT: 2.936 lbs.

BASE PRICE: $22,495

PRICE AS DRIVEN: $24,645

MPG RATING: 23 city, 31 hwy.