To be badged EX30d and priced from £35,975, the crossover promises to 'raise the bar for diesel engine refinement and vehicle safety' and Infiniti says its delivers its greenest environmental performance to date.

The 235bhp units provides 406lb.ft of torque at 1,750rpm, giving it a 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds and an 137mph top speed. The EX39d delivers 33.2mpg on the combined cycle with CO2 emissions of 224g/km of CO2 emissions with standard seven-speed automatic transmission

Worthy of note is the fact that the model goes on sale in early July with prices lower than its petrol counterpart, starting from £35,975 for the EX30d, which comes with standard kit including active torque distribution all-wheel drive, Xenon cornering headlights, front and rear parking sensors, 18-inch alloy wheels, Scratch Shield self-healing paint, electrically adjustable front seats, power-fold rear seats, cruise control and a 7-speaker audio system with 6-CD changer, MP3 decoder, Aux-In and Bluetooth for mobile connectivity.

Jump up to the more luxury oriented EX30d GT model, which costs £37,305, and you gain leather upholstery, 10-way power driver’s seat with memory, 8-way power front passenger seat, electrically adjustable steering column, heated front seats, rear air conditioning vent and a jacket hanger.

Finally the EX30d GT Premium costs £41,220 and adds in technology from Infiniti’s Safety Shield programme, such as Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) with full speed range, Intelligent Brake Assist (IBA), and Forward Collision Warning (FCW), to which is added the Connectiviti+ infotainment package.

Another safety bonus is the standard inclusion in the EX30d GT Premium of Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), which not only warns the driver if the car strays out of a designated traffic lane but also then takes action if that warning is not heeded.

Every GT Premium model also features Around View Monitor (AVM), with its 360-degree bird’s eye view of the car and its surroundings, and the Connectiviti+ satellite navigation system.

Infiniti is expecting that the new GT Premium versions will its top-selling models.