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MOTORING Infiniti Q50
It suggests, of course, that we have no
individuality other than variations on a
theme. Individuality calls for the courage to
be different. Take that analysis to choosing a
luxury car, and the Individualist will have an
Infiniti on their short-list. “A what?” you say.
Exactly.
If you are/were an American Citizen, you’ll
know that an Infiniti is a luxury car brand
introduced to the US by Nissan some
twenty five years ago. Now, in the UK it has
become a credible alternative to mainstream
premium brands, such as Audi, BMW, Jag
and of course, Lexus. Infiniti are known for
refinement, luxury and value. Do your sums
and you’ll find that with an Infiniti you get a lot
more car for a lot less money. In the case of
this very latest 3.5 litre Q50 , it’ll be matched
by a few admiring glances too.
Pulling power
In truth, test driving this car was a bit of
an ego booster for a modest man like me;
smiling back as I did to the female admirers
who were disappointed to see I wore a jacket
that fitted. It meant that I didn’t get a chance
to show off to them that I was driving a car
so packed with technology that it pretty
much drove itself. Park distance control to
the rear, radar controlled cruise control, blind
spot sensors, and active lane control meant
that all I had to do was turn the wheel here
and there on a 230 mile test drive up to the
North of England (a place called ‘Bolton’
to those of you who go no further than the
North Circular). Thus, my imaginary girlfriend
PRINCE CHARMING OR
SEBASTIAN VETTEL?
You pays your money, you make your choice…the new Infiniti Q50
It’s funny how fashion trends make us look like clones. These days
it’s fashionable for men to wear jackets too tight and too small, and
for women to wear thick soled platformed high heels, making them
look 10 ft high. Still we wear these things nonetheless because it’s
fashionable’ and everybody else is wearing them too.
Infiniti Q50 3.5h Direct
Response Hybrid
Engine: V6 petrol/electric hybrid
Type: Intelligent dual clutch
Displacement: 3498cc
V6 maximum power: 302PS (222kW)
V6 maximum torque: 350Nm (258lb ft)
Electric maximum power: 67PS (50kW)
Combined maximum power: 364PS
(268kW)
Drive: Rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive
Transmission: 7-speed automatic
Maximum speed: 250 km/h
0-100km/h: 5.1 seconds
Combined cycle
consumption: 6.2 l/100km (45.6mpg)
CO2 emissions: 144g/km
and I were wallowing in the melody of our six
speaker audio system, whilst sat nav took us
North to the place that sounded like a best
selling toolkit.
But that was my imagination working
overtime, 350 new miles on the clock since
Q50 and I met, yet the fuel gauge suggested
at least 150 more were possible before it was
necessary to find a fuel station. How cool is
that? A fuel efficient top luxury motor with a
big 3.5 litre engine. Too right, for on this kind
of journey, with a sympathetic right foot, circa
50 mpg was being achieved. The secret is
turbo charged hybrid power, using fuel only
when necessary, and electricity when it is not.
The added bonus is travelling in cocooned
silence in traffic, when everyone else is
destroying the planet with fumes.
Where art thou Romeo…?
“Ah yes” , I hear you say,” … but that’s no
different to what you’d get in a hybrid Lexus
IS!” True. So what’s the difference? The Q50’s
retort is ‘Power’, deep, progressive, rewarding
power that we haven’t yet experienced in any
of the hybrid competition in this particular
segment so far. It might sound a bit clichéd,
but Infiniti sum it up best with their strap-line
‘Inspired Performance’ , for that is exactly
how it feels. When you want to ‘switch on’
to the driving by parting company with all the
driver aids, the Q50 performs as if F1 driver
Sebastian Vettel had been involved in the fine
tuning. As it happens, he was.
Pushing on with some hard cross country
Q50 driving now, the imaginary young lady
sitting beside me has been dumped in favour
of piloting my new ‘F1 Red Bull Q5’ around
‘Silverstone’. My Q50 even sounded like the
new Formula 1 cars sound these days. The
only obstacle to actually becoming Sebastien
Vettel was the law, for such is the refinement
and ride quality of this car that big speeds
are achieved in an instant, and concentration
is required to stick within licence saving
speeds. Not only does this car stand out from
the madding crowd, it performs too.
Another 250 miles later I totally ‘got’ the
Infiniti concept: luxury, quality, refinement,
masses of equipment and performance. Add
to that the Individuality statement you make
by breaking away from the common fold, and
you’ll get away with wearing a jacket that
doesn’t fit, or sky-scraper high heels. Driving
an Infiniti Q50 is enough.
From £27,950