Nissan Skyline Crossover

Throwing the gauntlet down to BMW and friends, Nissan is ready to spring this smart, Skyline-based Crossover in the Japanese home market from this summer.

A smooth fusion of coupe and SUV, it's the third model out of the latest, acclaimed V36 Skyline range, following the sedan and coupe and if it already looks somewhat familiar, that's because it's essentially a lightly rebadged version of the X3-challenging Infiniti EX Crossover, already out in the US.

Nissan has absolutely no intention of launching Infiniti in Japan in the current economic climate, so introducing the car as a Skyline makes perfect sense. With a history dating back to 1957 and topped off of course by the legendary Skyline GT-R and countless race wins, Skyline remains one of Japan's most powerful and emotive brands.

Japan's Skyline Crossover comes with right hook steering and VQ37VHR V6 (shared with the latest 370Z) and 7-speed auto transmission with manual shift mode.

Could this Nissan Skyline Crossover yet get to play in Australia? There was no official word from Tokyo at presstime, and while some believe it could bring the dollars in for Nissan here , their answer seems pretty clear.

"These vehicles remain Infiniti products," said a Nissan spokesperson.

"At some time in the future, we will launch the Infiniti brand in Australia.

"It is at that time that we desire a full and competitive product range - sold through an exclusive dealer network (not part of a Nissan showroom).

"This is a global strategy."