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Infiniti Etherea

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Infiniti Etherea

The Infiniti Etherea is the car that Infiniti hopes will attract younger buyers to its brand.

Described (by Infiniti) as part coupe, part saloon and part hatchback, the Etherea is a hybrid concept car with Mazda RX-8-like rear-hinged rear doors that points to a new entry-level Infiniti, probably due on sale in 2014.

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'The Etherea is for younger buyers who do not want a smaller version of a typically conservative and traditional luxury car,' says Toru Saito, Infiniti's corporate vice president. It is for people who want a car that defines who they are, not who their parents were.'

The Lexus CT200h seems an obvious rival, but the Infinti is far more powerful. It has a 242bhp 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine mated to a CVT gearbox. The hybrid set-up is similar to that in the M35h executive car but, in a first for Infiniti, the Etherea is front-wheel-drive.

It's a four-seater hatchback, but the rear-hinged doors, the absence of central door pillars and the flat floor, give the Etherea a roomy cabin.

The dashboard has two display screens. The lower display is a touch-screen for the climate control and entertainment systems, while the screen farther away from the driver displays performance information.