1999 Infiniti G20

It was back in November of 1989 that Infiniti, Nissan's luxury car division, opened shop and introduced its plush Q45 luxury sedan. Followed one year later by the near-luxury G20. And while the Q45 went on to establish itself as a force to be reckoned with, the G20 quickly settled mid-pack in a large field of luxo wannabes, that is until its demise in 1996. Well, guess what? The G20 is back. And now, according to Infiniti, it's a driver's car. But does the all-new 1999 G20 have what it takes to cut right to the chase?

One look at its impressive list of standard equipment, and the 1999 Infiniti G20 certainly appears ready to do so.

Another look at the bottom line, and the G20 is even more attractive. As high content and reasonable price were two important characteristics that caught our eye when we first encountered the G20 in 1990.

Just $17,500 back then, today's price of $22,495 is still well within reason. In fact, our top-of-the-line G20 Touring model, with the Leather and Convenience package, rang up at $24,610. Which is not bad at all when you consider that's just slightly higher than the base price of an Audi A4.

But in today's highly competitive, near-luxury market, it takes more than an impressive list of goodies and a fetching price to win over new buyers. Styling can be equally important.

And when it comes to distinguishing styling, the G20 comes up short. And it's not that it's unattractive. Based on Nissan's European Primera sedan, the G20's beefy, low slung, air dam, with its integrated fog lamps, is topped by a small, raked, chrome-trimmed grille. Which sets the tone for the G20's overall wind-cheating, wedge-shaped, profile.

That flows to the rear quarters where the G20, T-is-for-Touring model, gets a sporty looking spoiler. And so do a lot of other sport sedan pretenders out there. And that's the problem. The G20 could be one of any number of cars on the road.

Slip behind the wheel, and the G20, riding on a two-inch longer wheelbase, and offering more interior volume than its predecessor, begins to distance itself from the other look-alikes.

Equipped with the optional leather and convenience package, our G20t tester featured "low-fatigue" style, leather-faced bucket seats. This "driver's" car has comfort and support. As well as power adjustments for the pilot, and heat for both front occupants.

A tilting, leather-wrapped, steering wheel is standard, and faces a well designed dash with a sloping center stack.

At the top of the stack are the climate controls, with auto mode and, just below, the 100-watt, Bose AM/FM/Cassette/CD stereo system. Both have been moved closer to the driver for added ease of use.

Also standard are the dual front and side airbags, that protect both head and chest in side impact collisions.

In the rear, with 36.8 inches of headroom, and 34.6 inches of legroom, the G20 is not spacious. It is comfortable, however, and room is average for a compact sedan.

And the 60/40 split seatback does fold forward for access to the large 14.2 cubic feet of cargo space in the trunk.

Under the hood, the G20 offers only one powerplant, and it's the same as 3 years ago. An all aluminum, 2.0-liter, dual-overhead-cam, 16-valve, 4-cylinder, borrowed from the Nissan Sentra SE. Ratings are 140 horsepower, and 132 pound-feet of torque. But, one can choose between a 4-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual transmission.

Although lacking in off-line grunt, the twisty 4-banger, with the 5-speed manual, did manage to haul us to 60 in a respectable 8.5 seconds, and on our way to a 16.3 second, 90-miles-per-hour, quarter mile.

On our way down from 60, the 4-wheel disc, 4-channel ABS-equipped-brakes were sport sedan capable, bringing us to a halt in a very stable 119 feet. ABS feedback through the brake pedal was very active, but non-threatening. There's no doubt the system is working for you.

And it took only a fast trip through the slalom to erase any doubt about the G20 being a true sport sedan. The engine speed sensitive rack-and-pinion steering has a good, on-center feel, and just the right amount of understeer for predictable turn-ins.

Side-to-side transitions are also predictable and reassuring, as the rear grip of the G20 is nothing short of astounding. And that's due to the new Rear Multi-Link Beam suspension.

It keeps the tires more upright in cornering and controls body roll in straight line driving on uneven surfaces. Up front, the original G20's unique, multi-link system with coil springs and stabilizer bar is still in place.

Working together, they enable the G20 to distance itself even further from the rest of the luxury sport sedan wannabes, by offering a nimble and compliant ride under all circumstances.

But is it enough for the 1999 Infiniti G20t to break completely free of the smothering masses of its class? With no six-cylinder engine available, probably not. But there is much more to a quality sport sedan than power. And, the Infiniti G20t compensates with a balance of performance and luxury that is most impressive. And anyone who decides to own Infiniti's new driver's car, will find that that decision was very easy, and a lot of fun to live with.

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