Nissan announced today that the next generation Infiniti M-series sedan will be available in a hybrid variant, a first for the Japanese luxury brand.

The rear-wheel-drive midsize sedan will use a system that combines a 3.5 liter V6 engine to an electric motor through a unique twin-clutch design. The electric motor will be able to propel the M35 Hybrid at low speeds, but will mostly work to assist the V6.

The sedan will also use a compact lithium-ion battery pack instead of the more traditional nickel-metal hydride batteries found in most hybrids today.

Fuel economy and performance figures for the vehicle were not released.

The hybrid powertrain will be the first developed in-house by Nissan. The current Altima Hybrid uses techology licensed from Toyota. Along with the M35 hybrid, Nissan will also be introducing an all-electric car, the Leaf, sometime in 2010.

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