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All-New 2000 Infiniti I30 Sets New Standard For Mid-Size Luxury Sedans with More of Everything

Infiniti introduces the second generation of its popular mid-size luxury sedan, the all-new 2000 Infiniti I30, complete with more luxury, more interior room, refined ride and handling, and a 37-horsepower increase to its award-winning 3.0-liter V6 engine.

"Since its introduction, the I30 has been a special car for Infiniti," said Tom Orbe, Vice President and General Manager, Infiniti Division, Nissan North America, Inc. "Besides being our top seller, it has enhanced Infiniti's longstanding reputation for quality, value and innovation. Now the new I30 raises the bar for all cars in class."

Making A Great Car Even Better

The original I30 was introduced in April of 1995 as a 1996 model.Immediately it won accolades, including "Best New Car, $25,000 - $35,000" from Kiplinger's Personal Finance.

In the 1997 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS), the I30 was ranked "Best Entry Luxury Car." One year after its successful launch, the Infiniti I30 was honored by the American Marketing Association with a "Gold Edison Best New Product Award." For 1999, Kiplinger's Personal Finance voted I30 "Best In Class, $25,000 - $35,000." Yet even with all its success, Infiniti engineers could not leave well enough alone and changed almost everything on the vehicle for the 2000 model year.

I30's most obvious changes are to the exterior, with a complete body restyle, distinctive from the previous generation I30 and to all other vehicles in its class. The vehicle is larger, with a dramatic 4.1-inch overall length increase (from 189.6 inches to 193.7 inches) and a 2.0-inch longer wheelbase (increased from 106.3 inches to 108.3 inches).

The new I30's elegant and luxurious appearance is first announced by the new chrome grille, which is classically subtle. A new two-bulb headlight design assists in presenting the new face of I30. Fog lights also combine function and style, giving I30 an aggressive, yet subtle, look.

New body panels give the I30 a luxurious, sensuous shape with muscular overtones. A large passenger greenhouse features green tinted heat and UV light reducing glass. There is a steeper rake to both front and rear glass than the previous generation and the rear side windows have been revised to enhance the cabin and offer a "panoramic" view.

Large wheels and tires - 16-inch standard and 17-inch on the Touring Model - provide I30 strong sporty overtones, giving a glimpse of the performance available from the powerful V6 and revised suspension.

The rear end features a new taillight design, with new lights with a jewel-like appearance, new license plate holder, a new bumper design. It is finished off with a dual tip exhaust outlet. The body side moldings are vehicle color and the radio antenna is integrated into the rear glass for a smooth, uncluttered exterior appearance.

The I30 Touring Model (I30t) offers a smoked headlamp treatment and high-intensity discharge (HID) Xenon headlights.

The 2000 I30 was designed at the Nissan Technical Center in Atsugi, Japan.

Refined Performance

Since its introduction, the Infiniti I30 has been noted for its exceptional V6 engine performance. Its innovative 3.0-liter powerplant design has been named one of the "10 Best Engines" by Ward's Auto World for five consecutive years.

For 2000, the engine has been refined through use of new intake and exhaust manifolds, Nissan Variable Induction System (NVIS) air intake control, new equal length exhaust pipes and the addition of a new variable capacity muffler adopted from the high performance Nissan Skyline GT-R. A special muffler flap valve, using high temperature aerospace spring technology and materials, opens at 2,000 rpm and above - reducing exhaust system backpressure.

These changes help increase the engine's horsepower from 190 to 227 and torque from 205 ft-lbs to 217 ft-lbs.

The I30's DOHC 24-valve V6 continues to utilize micro-finished crank journals and cam lobes, molybdenum coated pistons, digital knock control, six coils (one per spark plug) and a cross flow coolant pattern.

Additional refinements for 2000 include a new engine control module (located inside the passenger compartment to increase reliability), a larger air intake chamber, a thicker radiator and new cooling fans and a new four-point engine mount design with two electronically controlled fluid mounts for reduced vibration.

The I30 engine offers a 100,000-mile tune-up interval through the adoption of double-tipped platinum-tip spark plugs, providing a lower projected cost of ownership.

The 2000 I30 comes standard with a 4-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission, strengthened to support the increased engine output.

I30's innovative rear Multi-Link Beam suspension, which offers precise handling by minimizing camber change during cornering, has been refined through use of thicker front and rear stabilizer bars, adoption of larger, softer trailing link bushings and a relocation of the system's unique lateral link to behind the rear beam.

The new I30's performance is also reinforced by 4-wheel disc brakes with bigger rotors, standard 4-channel/4-sensor Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), refined engine-speed-sensitive power rack-and-pinion steering (utilizing the same computer controls as the Infiniti Q45), limited-slip differential (standard on Touring Models) and an available Traction Control System (TCS).

A Refined Interior

The new I30's exceptional level of luxury, like its performance, takes many forms - starting with its enhanced roominess. Versus the previous generation, the 2000 model offers 2.4 additional cubic feet of passenger compartment volume (increased from 99.6 to 102.0 cubic feet). Front seat head room and front leg room have been increased and front footwell width is 1.4 inches wider. Rear leg room is up 1.9 inches and trunk room is up 0.8 cubic feet (from 14.1 to 14.9).

The I30 interior features a custom-designed instrument panel, center stack and a new console design, which eliminates the modular appearance common in many luxury cars today.

Improved driver ergonomics was the focus of the interior designers. For example, the steering wheel has been repositioned forward, power seat controls moved forward, and the shifter was moved rearward. The gauge cluster has also been refined, with new electro-fluorescent illumination. A prominent analog clock marks the combination of new technology and old-world craftsmanship evident in this all-new vehicle.

The new I30's low-fatigue front seats have been redesigned with a more rigid seat structure and improved vibration absorption. Other enhancements include a new seat material appearance, improved cushioning, continuously variable lumbar support and a new double-lock recline mechanism.

The driver's seat is 8-way power and the passenger's seat is 4-way power with height-adjustable head restraints. A height-adjustable armrest mounted on top of the console box also maximizes driver comfort. The console also features dual levels with cell phone storage in the upper compartment.

The rear seat offers a 60/40 split fold-down design, anti-theft lock function, fold-down armrest and height-adjustable head restraints.

Standard luxury touches include wood tone trim, automatic temperature control and outside temperature display, rear heater ducts, overhead sunglasses storage, power-operated rear sunshade, leather wrapped tilt steering wheel, "one-touch" auto up and down front windows, auto on/off headlights, driver's and passenger's sunvisors with illuminated vanity mirrors and extenders, five cupholders, a second 12-volt power outlet and a custom-tuned seven-speaker 200-watt Bose AM/FM/Cassette/CD audio system.

The new I30's luxury feel is also reinforced by its exceptional attention to detail. For example, dome light switches are easier to operate, and the front and rear door levers are larger and easier to use with gloved hands. There has been extensive use of noise, vibration and harshness countermeasures for isolation of wind and road noise.

Enhanced Safety

The new I30's safety features include an improved impact dispersion body side structure, which includes reinforced roof side rails, B-pillars and side sills, pipe-style steel side-door guard beams, 3-point seat belts for all seating positions, front seat belts with seat belt pretensioners and load limiters, dual supplemental front air bags and front-seat supplemental side-impact air bags.

For the first time in the U.S., Infiniti offers front seat active head restraints as standard equipment on the I30. The active head restraints help to minimize head movement at impact to help reduce whiplash and other more serious injuries in certain rear-end collisions.

Standard and Optional Luxury Enhancements

Standard on I30 is a full array of luxury features, including fog lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, power windows, door locks, mirrors, trunk and fuel filler releases, leather-appointed interior, power 8-way driver's and 4-way passenger's seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and transmission shift lever, automatic temperature control, 7-speaker Bose 200-watt AM/FM/cassette/CD audio system, remote keyless entry with vehicle security system, Infiniti Vehicle Immobilizer System, interior wood-tone trim, trunk cargo net, cruise control, power-operated rear sunshade and a power glass sunroof with rear tilt feature.

The 2000 I30 also offers a power driver's memory seat and auto entry/exit system, electrochromic rearview mirror, and the HomeLink Universal Transceiver, which can be programmed to operate garage doors, security gates or home lighting systems from the comfort and safety of the I30 driver's seat.

I30 buyers can also opt for the Heated Seats Package, which include heated front seats with two heat settings, heated outside mirrors with timer and a low washer fluid warning light. Also available is the Traction Control System.

The sportiest I30, the I30 Touring Model (I30t), offers standard viscous limited-slip differential, 17-inch alloy wheels with P225/50VR17 all-season tires, sport-tuned suspension, smoked headlight treatment and HID Xenon headlights. Optional on Touring Model I30s is traction control and the Heated Seats Package.

The 2000 I30 is available in eight exterior colors and three interior colors - including two new exterior colors, Titanium and Millennium Jade.

"The new I30 sets new standards for mid-size luxury sedans with more of everything - power, luxury, space, comfort and quiet," said Orbe. "It's a car that proudly wears the Infiniti badge.