Infiniti Q50 Review

Infiniti has been around for longer than people might think, since 1989 to be exact. With cars being sold in America and Canada, the brand entered the European market in 2008. As they’ve continued to grow Infiniti have sponsored the Red Bull Racing Formula One team and worked with multiple World Champion Sebastian Vettel, a man who was central to the development of the Infiniti Q50 model. Did his input help it get ahead of rival models from Mercedes-Benz and BMW?

We drove the 2.2d four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine which produces 168hp with 400Nm of torque which really pulls you out of junctions and slow corners. The rear-wheel drive Q50 is available as a 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic. It goes smoothly through the gears, but the engine can be a bit noisy at the top of the rev range.

The 2.2d returns very impressive fuel figures at 58.9mpg, we managed 52mpg and were surprised to find how far we went on one tank of fuel. We did over 680 miles before refuelling and still had a range of 80 miles to go. The manual emits 114g/km of CO2, while the diesel 124g/km.

A 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine offers 211hp with 350Nm of torque and for

those wanting something punchy, then there is a 3.5-litre Direct Response Hybrid also available using a V6 engine and an electric motor producing a combined 364hp which shoots from 0 to 62mph in just 5.1 seconds.

New for 2016 is a 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo engine delivering 400hp.

Direct Adaptive Steering is a unique selling point of the Q50 which uses electronic steer-by-wire technology. Using the touchscreen you can change the steering weight to suit the roads and your needs; lighter for easier maneuverability or heavier for a sportier feel.

Intelligent All-Wheel Drive provides traction when its needed to tackle difficult road conditions.

Steering is very responsive when heavy mode is selected, but in standard it can feel quite light and feedback is quite slow.

The Infiniti Q50 has a comfortable ride, sports suspension though is to be avoided as it can make it feel very bumpy.

It is well thought out, the dashboard separating the driver from the passenger with wave-like sweeping lines and associated quality being at the premium end of car design. It is also a very quiet cabin, especially on motorways and the only minus point is that the diesel engine can get quite noisy at the top of the rev range.

Leather comes as standard throughout the range with extensive research used to produce NASA-inspired zero-gravity seats. They ease pressure points on your body to help to ease fatigue on long journeys, with an electronically adjustable driver’s lumbar support, there are no excuses to find the perfect driving position.

Infiniti have also catered for the iPhone generation with their Infiniti InTouch system which is viewed on the dual touch-screens. They are available with all the information you’ll ever need about the car, including fuel economy, G force (questionable information while you’re driving), tyre pressure, navigation, media and settings for steering and driving mode.

With the possibility to download apps you can hook up your smartphone via USB, AUX-in or Bluetooth. A downside of the dual touch-screens is the lower 7-inch one has a high gloss finish to it, so sticky mitts end up leaving marks all over it.

Navigation can be a bit hit and miss and seemed to take us via the moon to get to our destination. Most frustrating.

The rear view camera appears on the top 8-inch screen and is a nifty tool to help you park as the car has cameras on both sides to make it appear on the screen as if you have a 360 degree ‘Google Earth’ view around the car.

Passengers get plenty of rear legroom, the best in its class, while the seats can be split 60/40 to help large loads be put in the boot. For families, the Isofix points are in good positions for fitting child seats.

In the boot there is a deep 500 litres of space, (this is reduced slightly if you choose the hybrid model) although I’m not sure about the boot rising towards the front of the car making the boot not level, it can make it tricky getting larger items into it.

The Infiniti Q50 is priced from £28,950 and the version we drove cost from £31,900 with options such as an electric glass sunroof costing £880 and a multimedia pack adding an extra £2,760. Running costs should be good as the diesel we drove showed that you can do a fair few miles before filling up and with CO2 emissions as low as 114g/km then VED will cost from £30 annually.

It is priced well to compete against its rivals and if you want to avoid the German brands then the Infiniti Q50 is worth considering. Infiniti have struggled for sales across their range but the Q50 has seen quite a leap from 2014 with nearly 50,000 sold globally in 2015, a 65% increase.

The Infiniti range is in effect a posh Nissan, so quality is good as the sister brand aim for high levels of building quality and finishes across their lineup.

Any issues Q50 owners have had, mainly with the InTouch system and the Direct Adaptive Steering, which has been updated for 2016, have been fixed with updates, although the Infiniti brand is too new to feature in any reliability surveys.

The Q50 comes with technology such as Active Lane Control. Aided by the Direct Adaptive Steering it keeps the car between the lane markings through the correction of the steering. A world-first is Forward Collision Warning which reacts to the distance and speed not only the car in front, but the one ahead of that. High Beam Assistant, Intelligent Cruise Control, Blind Spot Warning and Intelligent Brake Assist Plus are just a few of the safety gadgets on the Q50, along with six airbags, giving it the maximum five stars in the Euro NCAP ratings.