Infiniti has set a base price of $54,575, including shipping charges, on the 2012 M Hybrid sedan. The luxury division of Nissan said the car will go on sale on March 16.

The Infiniti M Hybrid's powertrain mates a 302-hp 3.5-liter V6 with a 67-hp electric motor. That power flows through a seven-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels. The sedan is rated at 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway.

The powertrain includes a lithium-ion battery pack. Infiniti says the M Hybrid can travel on electric power at speeds up to 60 mph, and has a range of 1.2 miles on battery power alone.

Toyota Recalls 2.17 Million Vehicles in US

Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it will recall 2.17 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the United States to inspect and repair accelerator pedals that may get trapped in floor mats or carpeting.

The automaker said more than half of the recalled vehicles — 1.54 million units — are being added to a giant 2009 recall to inspect and repair accelerator pedals that may get trapped in floor mats.

A 10-month investigation by NASA engineers determined that electronic flaws were not to blame for widespread consumer complaints of unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus models, the U.S. Department of Transportation said this month.

Read: Should You Ignore an Auto Recall?

The Japanese automaker has now recalled 19.2 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles worldwide and more than 13.7 million in the United States to address safety problems since the fall of 2009.

Toyota said 20,000 2006 and early 2007 Lexus GS 300 and GS 350 all-wheel-drive sedans will be recalled to modify the shape of the plastic pad embedded in the driver's side floor carpet.

If the floor carpet around the accelerator pedal is not properly replaced after service, Toyota said there is a possibility that the plastic pad embedded into the floor carpet may interfere with operation of the accelerator pedal.

If this occurs, the accelerator pedal may become temporarily stuck in a partially depressed position rather than returning to the idle position.

Toyota said it had received two complaints about the issue. Owners of the GS 300 and GS 350 vehicles will be notified in early March, Toyota said.

Ford Recalls Nearly 150,000 F-150 Pickups

Ford is recalling 144,000 F-150 pickups from the 2005 and 2006 model years because of concerns that the airbags may deploy without warning, the automaker said on Tuesday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advised Ford to recall the F-150 after investigating 238 reports of accidental airbag deployment. Seventy-seven injuries have been reported, including chipped teeth, minor burns and cuts to the arms, hands and face.

Road vibrations and regular driving can cause the airbag wires to rub against the metal edge of the horn plate. The rubbing may eventually cut through the insulation on the wire, which then may short and cause the airbag to deploy.

Ford is recalling 135,000 trucks in the United States and 9,000 in Canada. However, the risk of accidental airbag deployment is relatively low, Ford said.