Infiniti Q50 2.0T Premium 4Dr Auto Petrol Saloon

Ten Second Review

Infiniti's Q50 bolsters its chances with the addition of a 211PS turbocharged 2.0-litre engine with which to bring the battle to the likes of the BMW 3 Series, the Mercedes C-Class and the Audi A4. It might well be a case of too little too late, but you can't fault Infiniti's dogged persistence.

Background

If you're a bit confused by the Infiniti product line up, you're probably not alone. Let's face it, product names like the EX30, FX50, G37, M35h aren't going to provoke much recall from even the most dedicated petrolhead and after six years of selling cars in the UK, Infiniti is still probably best known as a sticker on the side of a Red Bull F1 car. Clearly this is not a position of great strength to be batting from, and tackling the likes of BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Lexus requires not only strong product but some heavyweight brand identity as well. That may well come, but all Infiniti can do at present is try to build a foundation of opinion that its cars are up to scratch. The most important model in its entire portfolio is the Q50, its BMW 3 Series rival. Unfortunately that car was launched with the choice of either a respectable Mercedes-sourced diesel engine or an expensive hybrid option. The range is now being backfilled with an interesting looking turbocharged petrol option. There's hope for this one yet.

Driving Experience

While it's true that the UK's compact executive market is largely driven by sales of diesel cars, the demise of the petrol engine has long been overplayed. What's more, the latest generation of efficient small capacity turbocharged petrol engines is increasingly staying buyers' hands from choosing a default oil burner. Infiniti has gifted its Q50 with a lightweight 1991cc turbocharged petrol 4-cylinder engine which develops 350Nm of torque and 211PS of power. That's pretty good going. By comparison, a BMW 320i makes a mere 184PS. What's more the Infiniti sends its 211PS to the rear wheels via a slick 7-speed automatic transmission that plugs into a flat torque curve that begins at just 1250rpm. It gets to 62mph in around 7.5 seconds which isn't hanging around. Specify the car in Sport trim and it features a world's first on a production car with the inclusion of Direct Adaptive Steering (DAS), 'steer by wire' technology. DAS provides the driver with the ability to adjust both the steering's response and weight to suit personal preferences and type of driving. Integral with DAS is the equally innovative Active Lane Control which reduces the amount of driver adjustments needed to stay in the chosen lane on motorways.

Design and Build

There should be a well-established template for what makes a compact executive car and as far as dimensions go, that's pretty much the case: BMW 3 Series 462 cm long, Audi A4 470cm, Mercedes CLA 463cm, Lexus IS 466cm, Infiniti Q50 479cm. Beyond mere size, there's a lot of variance though. You'd never mistake the swoopy CLA for the more architectural A4. The Infiniti's front end even has a facsimile of the Lexus' spindle grille which seems an odd move. The Q50 is far from a bad looking car. It just seems to have appropriated exterior design cues in a rather under confident manner from its peers. It hangs together quite cohesively without ever expressing its own identity with any stridency. Jump inside and it all looks rather Japanese but Japanese in a good way. There's not the doughty austerity of a German car. Instead there's a twin clock binnacle, a steering wheel festooned with minor controls, two big LCD touch screens in the centre console and a wheel controller a la BMW iDrive/Audi MMS/Mercedes COMAND. As you'd expect it seems immaculately screwed together and there's plenty of kit built into even the entry-level car. Never mind the 168bhp, these buttons aren't going to press themselves.

Market and Model

The Daimler-derived petrol engine addition to the Q50 line up is part of an ambitious surge from Infiniti to boost customer choice and, ultimately, sales. Over the next five years the company aims to not only double the amount of engines it's currently delivering but also expects to vastly increase customer choice in the amount of products it offers. This 2.0-litre model is a good start, with prices opening at £31,755. That's quite a bit more than BMW's equally quick 320i and broadly on a par with the automatic version of the 245PS 328i. Now you can appreciate the scale of Infiniti's task. Still, the Q50 does come stacked with standard equipment. Even the entry-level SE version gets 17-inch alloy wheels and run-flat tyres, LED rear lights, scratch-shield paint, chrome-trimmed twin exhaust pipes and halogen daytime running lights. Then there's the six-speaker stereo with Bluetooth streaming, USB/iPod connectivity and voice-operation. Spend a bit more and you can upgrade to a Bose system with DAB radio. Also fitted as standard is a dual-zone adaptive climate control system, 60/40 split rear seats with a ski hatch (not on Hybrid), a multi-function leather-bound steering wheel and front aluminium door sill protectors are included. Then there's cruise control, speed limiter, stop start, hill start assist, rear view camera, rain sensing wipers and keyless entry. Safety systems include vehicle dynamic control, including active trace and traction control, tyre pressure warning and brake assist.

Cost of Ownership

Until we get the full economy and emissions data on the Q50 2.0-litre we're not able to build a full picture on cost of ownership. Infiniti Q50 models to date have delivered solid, if unspectacular, residual values and there's no reason to think the petrol-engined model will deviate too radially from this script.

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Key Standard Features*

• Solid - Black obsidian
• Solid - Pure white
• Remote keyless entry
• Driver's manual adjustable lumbar support
• Solid paint
• Reach + rake adjustable steering column
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Rear view camera
• Electric heated exterior mirrors
• Tyre pressure monitoring system
• Leather - Graphite
• Leather - Stone
• Leather - Wheat
• Gun metal interior trim
• 17" 5 double spoke alloy wheels

Specification

Body Glass
Rain sensor
Front and rear electric windows
UV reducing glass
Electric rear windows
Heated rear windscreen
Electric front windows + drivers one touch
Brakes
ABS+EBD+Brake assist
Hill start assist
TCS
VDC Dynamic Vehicle Control
ESP
ASR traction control
Hill hold control
Communication
Bluetooth telephone connectivity
Voice control system
Driver Aids
Speed limiter
Drive Mode Selector
Driver Convenience
Push button starter
Active noise cancellation
Driver Information
5" TFT driver information centre
Trip computer
Rev counter
Low fuel level warning light
Door/boot open warning light
Exterior temperature gauge
InTouch system with dual touch screen
Driving Mirrors
Auto dimming rear view mirror
Electric adjustable door mirrors
Entertainment
USB/iPod connection
Radio/single CD player
Auxiliary input socket
Bluetooth audio streaming
6 speakers
Fingertip controls for audio system
Exterior Body Features
Aluminium front door sills
Twin exhaust tailpipe
Body colour exterior mirrors
Chrome tailpipe finisher
Body colour bumpers
Body coloured side sills
Body colour door handles with chrome trim
Exterior Lights
LED fog lights
LED indicators in door mirrors
Follow me home headlights
Automatic headlights
LED rear lamps
LED daytime running lights
Auto headlight levelling
LED headlights
Heating/Cooling/Ventilation
Auto air recirculation
Dual zone electronic climate control
Rear air con vents
Pollen filter
Interior Features
Ski hatch
12v power point in centre console
Multi function for steering wheel
Rear centre armrest with cupholders
Front armrest with storage box
Leather steering wheel
Leather upholstery
Leather gear lever
Rear centre armrest with cupholder
Centre console with armrest
Leather gear knob
Front door pockets with bottle holders
Boot lashing points
Interior Lights
Footwell illumination
Illuminated boot
Interior courtesy light
Driver/passenger reading lights
Safety
Front and rear curtain airbags
Warning triangle and first aid kit
Driver and passenger airbags
3x3 point rear seatbelts
Front side airbags
Height adjustable front seatbelts
Passenger airbag deactivation system
Front and rear outer seat belt pre-tensioners
Front and rear seatbelt reminder
Seats
Heated front seats
60/40 split folding rear seat
Isofix attachments on rear seats
Front headrests
Rear headrests
Height adjustable front seats
Front seat back map pockets
3 height adjustable rear headrests
Height adjustable front headrests
Security
Immobiliser
Remote central locking
Deadlocks
CAT 1 alarm
Vanity Mirrors
Sunvisors with illuminated vanity mirrors

Options

Packs
Welcome pack - Q50	£1,200.00
Visibility pack - Q50	£1,040.00
Paint - Metallic
Metallic - Hagane blue	£660.00
Metallic - Chestnut bronze	£660.00
Metallic - Liquid Platinum	£660.00
Metallic - Moonlight White	£660.00
Metallic - Graphite shadow	£660.00
Metallic - Midnight black	£660.00
Metallic - Dynamic Sunstone Red	£660.00
Metallic - Iridium Blue	£660.00
Paint - Solid
Solid - Black obsidian	Standard
Solid - Pure white	Standard
Security
Remote keyless entry	Standard
Seats
Driver's manual adjustable lumbar support	Standard
Exterior Body Features
Special Metallic paint	£1,090.00
Metallic paint	£660.00
Electric glass sunroof	£880.00
Solid paint	Standard
Special paint	£1,090.00
Interior Features
Kacchu Aluminium interior trim	£240.00
Reach + rake adjustable steering column	Standard
Driver Information
Navigation System + DAB	£1,960.00
Driver Aids
Front and rear parking sensors	Standard
Rear view camera	Standard
Driving Mirrors
Electric heated exterior mirrors	Standard
Paint - Special
Special metallic - Dynamic sunstone red	£1,090.00
Safety
Tyre pressure monitoring system	Standard
Trim - Leather
Leather - Graphite	Standard
Leather - Stone	Standard
Leather - Wheat	Standard
Embellishment Trims
Maple wood trim	£320.00
Gun metal interior trim	Standard
Wheels - Alloy
18" 7 double spoke alloy wheels	£800.00
17" 5 double spoke alloy wheels	Standard

Performance

Performance
0 to 60 mph (secs)
0 to 62 mph (secs)	7.2
Engine Power - BHP	211
Engine Power - KW	155
Engine Power - PS
Engine Power - RPM	5500
Engine Torque - LBS.FT	258
Engine Torque - NM	350
Engine Torque - RPM	1250
Top Speed	152