The overall feel of the 2009 Infiniti FX50 and the ease of entry and exit are what you’d expect in a low and slinky sporty car, not a crossover nearly as tall as a Saturn Vue or Ford Edge. Above, a view of the instrument panel and driver compartment.

Infiniti

Infiniti needs to launch a space program. The brand’s alien-looking 2009 FX50 sport SUV blasts off with a 390-horsepower V-8 and seven-speed automatic to kick it into hyperdrive, but its passenger compartment is the final frontier.

For all its “Outer Limits” looks, the FX offers surprisingly little interior space for a big vehicle. It also lacks some of the refinement you’d expect in a luxury vehicle.

The predatory, flowing lines and unusual proportions trick the eye brilliantly, but the aggressively styled FX is just 2 inches shorter and a full 2 inches wider than a Ford Explorer.

Those exterior dimensions vanish into a wormhole as you enter the FX, however. It’s spacey, but hardly spacious.

The sills are wide, the roof is low and the rear wheel wells are as close to the passengers’ backside as their wallets. The overall feel and ease of entry and exit are what you’d expect in a low and slinky sporty car, not a crossover nearly as tall as a Saturn Vue or Ford Edge.

Complaints about the FX50’s interior room and other shortcomings seem less urgent when you admire its futuristic looks, however. They recede further when the sophisticated drivetrain and suspension dig into a fast, curving road.

The FX50 is as stylish and eye-catching as any sports car, and its road-hugging handling belies its truck-scale exterior and 4,575 -pound curb weight.

Since the FX debuted in 2003, the rakish crossover has always been the vehicle that sets the styling tone for the rest of Infiniti’s model line, and the all-new 2009 model takes its visual appeal to a new level. The FX50, with its 5.0-liter engine, replaces the 4.5-liter FX45 that was top of the line for the first generation.

Prices for the 2009 Infiniti FX start at $40,950 for a rear-drive FX35 powered by a 303-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6. An FX35 with the same engine and Infiniti’s advanced all-wheel drive system starts at $42,350.

The FX50 comes with a 5.0-liter 390-horsepower V-8 and standard all-wheel drive. Prices start at $56,700. I tested an FX50 that featured appealing options including lane departure warning and radar-based automatic cruise control. It cost $59,600. All prices exclude destination charges.

All FXs come with a seven-speed automatic transmission that functions exceptionally well in sport and manual mode but suffers from poor shift quality in the automatic mode most owners will probably use.

The FX competes with sporty crossovers like the Audi Q7, BMW X5, Cadillac SRX Porsche Cayenne and VW Touareg 2. Unlike the Q7, X5 and SRX, which have optional third-row seats, the FX is available only as a five seater.

The FX50’s price puts it high in the range for all-wheel drive V-8 versions of those luxury crossovers. Comparable base prices are: BMW X5 4.8i, $54,800; Cadillac SRX V8, $47,005, Porsche Cayenne S, $57,900, and Volkswagen Touareg 2 V8 FSI, $48,900.

The FX35’s prices stack up favorably against V-6 competitors, too.

The FX50 requires premium fuel, like all the competitors I’ve named. Its EPA fuel economy ratings of 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway are 1 or 2 mpg better than the competition.

Graced with a long, rounded nose, squinting swept-back high-intensity projector headlights, flared fenders and fadeaway roofline, the FX slips through traffic with the predatory and menacing grace of a shark cruising a coral reef.

It is a simply gorgeous design, and the interior space Infiniti sacrificed to achieve it was an understandable tradeoff.

The interior wraps tightly around the occupants with a dual-cockpit dashboard and wide center console. The materials are of uniformly high quality, particularly the beautiful hand-stained maple wood trim, which shades delicately from deep brown on the edges to a coppery, burnished shade in the middle of each piece of trim.

Rear passenger room is just adequate, and while the cargo area provides a useful 24.8 cubic feet of storage space, the 31.1-inch liftover into the rear is higher than ideal, and it can be hard to reach items that lodge against the seats.

Cargo capacity expands to 62.0 cubic feet with the 60/40 split rear seats folded down. Standard safety equipment includes front-seat side air bags, curtain air bags, antilock brakes and stability control.

The 2009 FX’s new chassis provides a far smoother ride than the bouncy model it replaces, but road-holding remains excellent. The electronically controlled all-wheel drive system can transfer power from a 50/50 front/rear split to 100 percent rear, giving the FX50 exceptional launch feel and traction.

The new seven-speed automatic transmission has Infiniti’s unique downshift rev-matching feature. It provides crisp engine braking similar to a manual gearbox when the driver chooses to shift manually or use the transmission’s sport mode.

Shift quality is not as good in normal mode, however. The transmission hunts rapidly through the gears, short-shifting in a manner that maximizes fuel economy but makes it hard to accelerate or decelerate smoothly.

That, combined with the engine’s tendency to idle very fast — up to 1,600 rpm — at ignition, betrays a lack of refinement compared with the FX’s competition.

The 2009 FX is nearly free of the noise and vibration that marred the original FX, however.

The new FX also features a host of sophisticated and valuable features. Four cameras and computer processing create a bird’s-eye view of the vehicle that is a valuable parking aid. Other sensors warn the driver when the FX begins to wander out of its lane and apply the brakes subtly to tuck it back into line.

The SUV also features automatic cruise control, which maintains a set distance between vehicles from highway speeds to full stop.

An excellent Bose stereo with full iPod integration and a DVD-based navigation system are standard in the FX50 and optional for the FX35.

The 2009 Infiniti FX is not as roomy and refined as it could be, but its advanced features, exciting performance and spaceship looks make it a good value and a fine addition to the growing ranks of luxury-sport crossovers.