Infiniti is making driving in the urban jungle a little more tolerable – with a breath of fresh air. The all-new 2011 Infiniti M, which is scheduled to arrive at Infiniti retailers beginning in spring 2010, will be equipped with a newly-developed climate control system that emulates the air of the natural environment.

Infiniti looked to the forest for inspiration. The automaker believes most people rank forest air as the cleanest and most refreshing. As such, it’s ideal atmosphere to emulate on promoting an overall feeling of wellness in a car’s interior, as well as helping keep the driver alert.

Appropriately called Forest Air, the system avoids the air-conditioned artificiality of simple climate control set-ups by adding gentle breezes and optimizing humidity. All this is delivered at the temperature of the occupants’ choice, while greatly reducing the possibility of unpleasant odors or pollen entering the cabin.

The result is Infiniti’s most sophisticated climate control system yet and one that the engineers who developed it believe is class-leading in many ways. The system offers exceptionally clean and refreshing air quality in nearly all driving situations.

Forest Air System is an umbrella term for several areas of technology, some new and some, such as the Plasmacluster* air purifier, building on proven Infiniti innovations.

Instead of blasting air into occupants’ faces, the new M delivers a gentle breeze. Air from the instrument panel vents is modulated so it feels far more natural, making the whole cabin environment a more pleasant place to be.

Humidity control plays a part in the Infiniti M’s always-fresh interior. Air-conditioners are good at taking all the humidity out, making interior air very dry. Forest Air System leaves a comfortable amount of moisture in the air, avoiding the dried-out feeling but without allowing the windows to fog up. The very precise humidity monitoring needed to achieve this is provided by exterior and interior sensors mounted at the top of the windshield.

For all this to work depends on a first line of defense in keeping bad air out, and the 2011 Infiniti M will have it. Again the system relies heavily on sensors – not just to close the air intake when an odor outside is detected, but also to neutralize bad air already inside, such as tobacco smoke. Active control like this results in as oxygen-rich an interior as possible with low CO2 levels.

Allergens are effectively kept out of the cabin by a new filter in the air-conditioning system. The filter’s fibers are impregnated with natural grape-seed polyphenol that brings a remarkable rise in efficiency. The effect of cedar pollen allergens, for example, is cut by 88 per cent compared to a regular filter.

Another ingredient in the Forest Air System is Infiniti’s Plasmacluster air purifier. Now more powerful and sensitive than ever, its stream of high-density ions is able to decompose the smells that cling to interior trim, down to barely-detectable levels. Apart from this improved deodorizing function, the Plasmacluster is more effective now at inactivating bacteria, mold, viruses and allergens.

With the Forest Air System, the all-new 2011 Infiniti M will demonstrate what Infiniti has always believed: that quality of air is a key factor in helping keep the driver stress-free and alert, and passengers comfortable and relaxed.