The wait may not be over, but the deadline is at least in sight. We have been waiting for Infiniti for a while in Europe and while our colleagues on mainland Europe have only to wait until October to get their hands on Nissan's Lexus equivalent, here in Ireland it will be the tail-end of 2009 before right-hand drive Infiniti models come to these shores.
The Infiniti range has done well in the US and when it comes here the initial focus will be on Infiniti's highly distinctive crossovers - the Infiniti EX37 coupé crossover and the second-generation Infiniti FX sports crossover, which made its world debut in March at the Geneva Motor Show. The Infiniti's European line-up will also include the second-generation Infiniti G37 and G37 coupé.
The Infiniti that impressed us most was the FX. It's a great looking sporty SUV, sitting on 21-inch alloy wheels. The all-new model took its bow at this year's Geneva Motor Show and for Europe there will be a 3.7-litre V6 and 5.0-litre V8 petrol version. This SUV also has a gorgeous interior, with a small sport steering wheel and a responsive paddle-shift gearbox. It's fantastic to drive and of all the sporty SUVs we have driven, this by far turned the most heads. Expect a €90,000 price tag when it comes late in 2009.
Ireland will be served by just one Infiniti dealer initially, who will be part of the Windsor Group and will have a stand-alone showroom in Dublin initially, with a rollout of further dealers into 2010.
Whether Ireland will take to the new models - the majority of which will be high-emission Band G vehicles with the top rate of road tax - remains to be seen.