Sometimes the subtlest changes have the most impact – arriving to work fifteen minutes earlier may make you more productive, impressing your boss and resulting in a promotion; wearing green rather than blue could catch the attention of your single neighbor, leading to a house full of kids and, eventually, a 75th wedding anniversary; or, in automotive terms, adding some extra chrome and a boatload of standard features could get a few more shoppers to consider your product.

That’s just what Infiniti has done with the 2006 FX35/FX45, the brand’s uniquely-shaped and amply-powered midsize SUV. You’ll have to pull up a seat and take a good long gander at the FX to notice the visual changes, but eventually you’ll notice the taillights with new clear lenses, alloy wheels that are shaped a little different, and the FX45’s chrome accents and alloy roof rails. Take a look inside to see the restyled front console and the new center control panel.

Those are the visual cues. To appreciate what else has changed on the 2006 Infiniti FX, you’ll need to sit in the driver’s seat, push the start button, and take a look at the window sticker. That bass-thumping subwoofer you’re hearing is standard, as are those leather seats you’re resting on. If you’re not quite comfortable, try adjusting the power tilt and telescoping steering wheel or the power lumbar support – they’re standard, too.

Powertrains for the 2006 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 have been carried over largely unchanged. The 2006 FX35 soldiers on with the same 24-valve, 3.5-liter V6 that generates 280 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 270 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,800 rpm. But in the FX45, horsepower from the 32-valve, 4.5-liter V8 has climbed to 320 at 6,400 rpm and torque is now rated at 335 lb.-ft. at 4,000 rpm.

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