Tech-laden 359bhp Japanese saloon
targets BMW’s 3-series
Infinity has an unenviable task with the
Q50, particularly in Europe. With this car the Japanese premium brand is
attempting to tackle the overall excellence of the BMW3-series and the
popularity of the Audi A4. Its weaponry? First and foremost, technology – and
in particular a hybrid powertrain and the world’s first steer-by-wire system on
a production car.
The Q50 range consists of a 2.2-litre
diesel or a 3.5-litre V6 electric hybrid in a single, highly specced ‘S’ trim
level. The Q50S Hybrid is also available with four-wheel drive, but it’s the
rear-wheel- drive model we’re testing here.
The
Infiniti is a classy-looking affair that's worth considering
Infiniti claims its ‘Direct Response’
hybrid tech is the ‘new turbo where petrol engines are concerned’. The
engine/hybrid unit comprises a 302bhp 3.5-litre V6 and a 67bhp electric motor,
which together deliver a peak of 359bhp and a claimed combined fuel consumption
figure of 45.6mpg. For comparison, a similarly priced turbo six-cylinder
automaticBMW335i delivers 302bhp and a claimed 39.2mpg. The Infiniti sprints to
62mph in an impressive 5.1sec, the 335i in 5.2sec. Nothing in it? Perhaps, but
the 3-series is 230kg lighter than the Infiniti…
Out on the road, the Q50S Hybrid is
cosseting and refined. The electric getaway is smooth, with decent throttle
response and weight. The brake pedal feels oddly elastic underfoot but the
seven-speed auto gearbox is smooth and responsive. Acceleration, both from
take-off and in the mid-range, is very impressive – and you can actually feel
the 199lb ft of the electric motor infilling the torque at lower revs. Overall
then, it’s a very good powertrain.
The
Q50's cockpit is comfortable, refined and well equipped
There’s little to fault in terms of the
chassis, either. Ride comfort and handling are easily class standard, with the
Q50’s double-wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear providing decent
balance and agility. Also, you’re never in doubt that this is a
front-engine/rear-drive chassis – and that, of course, is a good thing.
Approaching a series of bends you receive
some decent signals from the seat of your pants, but you soon realise that very
few of those crucial informative frequencies reach your palms – and those that
do are difficult to interpret. According to Infiniti, its wired ‘Direct
Adaptive Steering’ exists to increase response (by removing mechanical losses)
and offer tailored steering weight and gearing. And here’s the thing: ‘all this
is achieved with retention of feedback from the road’. At least that’s the
claim. How? There’s a force actuator on the column to mimic feedback. Sadly, at
present, the steering feel is poor and offers no discernable dynamic advantage
over mechanical systems.
Power
comes from a petrol/electric hybrid system that features a 302bhp 3.5-litre V6
and a 67bhp electric motor
DAS is plugged into Active Lane Control,
which uses the steering to keep the Q50 ‘magnetised’ (in Infiniti’s words) to
its lane, even adjusting for surface changes and crosswinds. But again it’s
hard to feel any advantage. Driven in high winds with ALC off, the Q50 slices
through the air with little deflection. With ALC on, the system tends to
introduce correction just as you intuitively do the same, resulting in an odd
oscillating sensation. And that’s the problem: when you switch on ALC you have
to switch off your own intuition, and that’s borderline impossible.
Moving on to more conventional areas, the
Q50’s cabin architecture follows the same individualistic form as the exterior.
The build quality and materials are on a par with those of its rivals, while
the standard kit level is generally higher.
A
400-litre boot should prove adequate for most
Which brings us neatly back to… the BMW
3-series. The 335i isn’t the only version of the benchmark German at this price
and performance point, of course. So even if you dismiss the petrol BMW on
economy and emissions grounds, you have the petrol-electric Active Hybrid
3,which just nudges ahead of the Q50 with 47.9mpg versus 45.6, and 139g/km of
CO2 against 144. And then there’s the diesel 330d, which positively trumps the
Infiniti with figures of 57.6mpg and 129g/km.
You can see where this is going, can’t you?
While the Infiniti Q50S Hybrid makes more sense in diesel-averse markets, it
can’t compete in the UK. It will appeal to the individualist, and that should
be commended, but for those who covet driving enjoyment, the Q50’s steering in
particular presents a major impediment. That it masks an essentially fine
chassis compounds the frustration.
