NISSAN is playing catchup with Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda in introducing its own hybrid car, the luxury Infiniti M, which delivers double the mileage of the gasoline-engine version.

Nissan Motor Co showed the new gas-electric hybrid, called Fuga in Japan, yesterday at its headquarters in Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo.

The hybrid goes on sale in Japan next Tuesday, starting at nearly 5.8 million yen (US$72,000) - more expensive than the regular gasoline version which starts at about 4.3 million yen.

It is planned for sale in the United States early next year and also for Europe, although that date was not disclosed. Nissan is targeting sales of 200 vehicles a month in Japan.

Nissan Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga said sales will likely be bigger than 200 in the US, where the Infiniti is popular, but did not give a specific number or price tag.

Mileage is estimated at 19 kilometers a liter under Japanese test-driving conditions, about double the comparable mileage for the gas-engine vehicle.

Mileage for the US is still undecided, according to Nissan.