There was already a choice of V6 petrol hybrid or four-cylinder diesel power for Infiniti Europe’s Q50. Now, Nissan’s upscale division has added a second Mercedes-supplied engine.
You’ve got to admire the quiet determination of Infiniti Europe. The UK is one of its more successful markets but last year, just 386 cars were sold here versus 530 in 2012. In August, a 43% YoY surge equalled 20 registrations. Year to date, the tally is now 377 compared to 280 during the same eight-month period of 2013. The Q50 is already making a small, but growing impact then. If you want to see the size of the mountain this brand has to climb, consider that one of the cars that this new saloon is up against, the BMW 3 Series range, managed 23,736 sales for the year to the end of August. That also made it the country’s tenth best seller.
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As the saying goes, from small acorns…and Lexus Europe seems to be getting on with improving its own minimal sales numbers of just a few years ago. Jaguar too, which had been in long-term decline, is lifting its numbers and image and will surely become a modestly sized competitor for the 3 Series, A4, C-Class and others such as the Volvo S60 with its XE saloon in 2015.
Forgetting the size of the sales challenge ahead for Infiniti and instead just considering the Q50 itself, it’s clear that this model is up to the job. By contrast with Lexus Europe’s strategy for this segment, Infiniti offers a diesel engine, whereas the IS has to do without one. There is also a Q50 Hybrid and this is powered by Nissan’s own (petrol) 3.5-litre V6, whereas the 2,143cc diesel is sourced from Mercedes-Benz. There is also a 3.7-litre V6 in some markets, but none of these are in Europe.
Nissan North America and Daimler are now collaborating in four-cylinder petrol powertrains, so the Q50 2.0t’s turbocharged engine comes from NNA’s Decherd plant in Tennessee. This same engine also goes into the new US-built Mercedes-Benz C-Class. For the Q50, it’s shipped to Japan and installed in the car on the line at Tochigi, one of two factories worldwide which make the Q50. The other is in China’s Hubei province, at Dongfeng Nissan’s Xiangyang facility. This is where the new long wheelbase Q50L is built but for the moment, this car is just for the domestic market.
In EU markets spec, the turbo 2.0-litre Q50 produces 211hp and 350Nm (258 lb ft) of torque, with a seven-speed automatic transmission standard. Drive goes to the rear wheels, as is the norm for the brand, though all-wheel drive is available for certain other variants. In Britain, that means for the Hybrid alone.
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By GlobalDataAcceleration is strong, with zero to 62mph reached in a stated 7.2 seconds and maximum speed of 245km/h (152mph). CO2 averages 146-151g/km depending whether you have 17” or 19” wheels, while the Combined consumption is officially rated at 43.5-44.5mpg. I didn’t see anything like that while testing the car, but there again, a figure in the low 30s doesn’t mean this car has a drinking problem. For the performance on offer, it’s very good. Some of that comes down to the kerb weight of 1,678kg.
They used to call Infiniti the Japanese BMW and in some ways, that’s still accurate. The ride in the 2.0t is firm and the steering is more direct than you will find in an Audi A4, though you can switch it to a lighter mode if you so choose. Something else you might want to play around with is the customisable dual touchscreens. The top one has an eight-inch diameter and the lower screen is an inch less in area. You can use these to set the climate control, access your apps, search Google, check your social media or select various other car settings.
In the US, this model’s main market, the Q50 is up against the same rivals as in Europe but there’s also the Lexus ES there too (and in Russia). Which explains some of the car’s features. That includes a foot operated parking brake and when you open the boot, you’ll see one of those glow stick-coloured toggles that people who fear being carjacked and bundled into the trunk can pull to release the decklid – like tyre pressure sensors, it’s a federal regulation. The car’s size is another giveaway, as it’s big for its European segment. And yet, look at the length of the latest C-Class, which Daimler super-sized so as to position it clearly above the CLA-Class – the old C was in fact shorter than the CLA – and the Q50, at 4,800mm from end to end, isn’t perhaps too lengthy after all.
In a perfect world, Infiniti Europe would have an estate with which to fight the D-premium status quo. But until the brand’s sales reach a critical mass, it’s hard to see this division being able to push HQ in Hong Kong for the additional body style that would help it with more conquests. Nevertheless, the combination of the Hybrid, diesel and now the 2.0-litre turbo petrol give the brand three prongs with which to go into battle and that’s an improvement over what was available for the old G sedan. That car is still available, incidentally, but only in North America. Here, the range consists of the Q50, then the Q60 Coupe and Convertible, the Q70 saloon, plus the QX50 and QX70 crossovers.
In a few weeks’ time we’ll see where Infiniti is headed, when a preview of a possible future rival for the Porsche Panamera is revealed at the Paris motor show. This, the Q80 Inspiration, is likely to use Daimler’s MRA architecture should it reach production. That could be as soon as 2017.
Next year promises to be a major one for Infiniti Europe. Nissan’s Sunderland plant commences build of two additional models, the Q30 (to take on the Audi A3 Sportback) and QX30, which should be more of a Mercedes GLA-Class competitor. In that context, the brand’s range currently starting with the Q50 makes more sense. By the end of 2015, buyers visiting the website and/or a showroom will be able to see the same kind of logical model line-up that the Germans have been offering for decades.
The new 2.0-litre engine is absolutely worthy of consideration by anyone shopping for an alternative to the usual A4/3 Series/C-Class choices and with an on the road price of GBP34,125 for the as-tested Sport version, it’s also very good value.
