The avant-garde styling of Infiniti’s FX models — the FX35 and FX45 — isn’t the curiosity it was when they debuted in 2003. But they’re still contemporary, and an intriguing counterpoint to your everyday, run-of-the-mill, SUV box.

I had the opportunity to put the V8-powered, all-wheel drive 2006 FX45 through its paces recently on a romp taking me from the freeways of Atlanta to the two lane blacktops in the mountains of North Carolina — and back again. The weather included rain, nighttime rain, blowing rain, blinding rain, freezing rain, frost, snow, snow mixed with rain, and oh yeah, did I mention rain?

It didn’t matter. The FX just manhandled the varied terrains and all versions of the rain.

Walkaround: The unique rounded styling of the FX isn’t what you expect from a luxury crossover SUV. And while it might not be for everyone, it does have a certain flair that undoubtedly appeals to people who view themselves as individuals.

The first thing you notice are those wheels — big 20-inchers — that are bigger than the standard wheels on any other vehicle in this segment. The hood is long, flowing into rounded fenders that all come together at the shiny, horizontal chrome grille. The rear has an unexpected look as well — big, yet rounded, not boxy, but with very little rear overhang.

The roofline is raked slightly rearward and seemingly attached by points near the tailgate. Overall, the nearly 16-foot-long FX struts — strikingly beautiful in its design.

Interior: The functional, yet comfortable interior is designed for serious driving. Seating is comfortable and supportive, with the front power seat height and track adjustments having a very wide range, and boasting 43.9 inches of legroom. An eight-way power driver seat is standard, and a bevy of airbags — frontal, side and curtain — are as well. The leather interior is trimmed out in brushed aluminum, including the small-diameter, adjustable sport steering wheel and drilled aluminum pedals.

Instrumentation is lit with Nissan’s signature amber and easy to read. All the controls are where you expect them to be. The optional navigation system is relatively easy to use when compared to some others, and the backup camera was especially helpful in the heavy rain.

The FX seats five — there’s no third row seat option — and as usual in most SUVs, the rear middle seat is somewhat uncomfortable, with a large hump in the floor. Even though the FX is longer in overall length and wheelbase than the Acura MDX, BMW X5, and Mercedes M-Class, rear-seat legroom is slightly less than all of those.

Cargo space is also smaller than you might expect — 64.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded flat. The MDX and M-Class both offer more than 81 cubic feet, and the MDX comes standard with a third seat.

Under The Hood: The Infiniti FX is available in two trims levels. Our test vehicle was the upscale Infiniti FX45. It boasts a muscular 315-horse 4.5-liter, double overhead cam V8, derived from the one under the hood of Infiniti’s flagship Q45 sedan. It’s coupled with a standard five-speed automatic that includes a manual shift mode to maximize performance, as well as standard all-wheel drive. Starting price is just over $44,000.

The FX35 is powered by a 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter, DOHC V6, and is available with either rear- or all-wheel drive. Its beginning sticker is around $34,000.

The broad $10,000 price variation allows the FX to compete in two segments. Competitors like the MDX and Lexus RX330 offer only V6 powerplants and start in the mid $30s, while V8 competitors like the Volvo XC90, M-Class, and BMW X5 4.4i all exceed the $50,000 mark.

Behind The Wheel: The FX45’s superb road manners are attributable to its independent strut front suspension and independent multi-link rear configuration. While the ride is akin to the XC90 or X5, it handles better than any other SUV I’ve driven. Although there is a small amount of road noise from the large tires, thanks to its low center of gravity, wide stance, and those 20-inchers, it drives much more like a sports sedan than an SUV. There’s no top-heavy feeling and the power-assisted rack and pinion steering is precise and responsive, with a quick steering gear ratio like that found on sports cars.

The FX45’s all-wheel-drive system is an evolution of the one used in Infiniti’s old QX45 SUV. It’s programmed to deliver strong acceleration and launch at startup, and maintain optimum power distribution, front and rear, during energetic driving. Taking those mountain curves and corners at speed — even in the rain — the FX45 was composed and confident.

The V8 sounds like a V8 should — deep and throaty. It also performs like one should, with power that’s strong and smoothly delivered. Even weighing in at some 4,300 pounds, the FX45 is a feisty performer with a generous 329 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm. Comparatively, the X5’s base 4.4-liter V8 is 290 horses and 324 foot-pounds.

Whines: Premium fuel is recommended and fuel economy is rated at just 15-city. While fuel economy is akin to some bigger SUVs, I just hate paying the price for premium. Cargo room is a bit skimpy for a vehicle this big.

Bottom Line: Sharing its platform with the high-performance Infiniti G35 sports sedan and the Nissan 350Z, the FX makes a style statement in addition to being a driving enthusiast’s dream. Quite simply, the FX45 will make you forget you’re driving an SUV.