It’s the car we’ve all been waiting for – and Infiniti have been waiting for it even longer. A premium compact hatchback is the one thing they’ve been missing from their otherwise impressive – and yet still under-rated – range.
They’ve got big cars, limousines and SUVs, and in spite of being around for the past 26 years, the name is far from well-known outside of the United States and the Far East, apart from being plastered on the Red Bull Formula One Racing Cars with whom they have a technical collaboration.
In simple terms, Infiniti is the upmarket arm of Nissan, similar to the Lexus relationship with Toyota and is based in Hong Kong with markets in 50 countries.
What’s significant about the new Q30 is that it’s their first vehicle to be produced in Europe. Not just that, it comes after a £250 million investment at Nissan’s plant at Sunderland in the north-east of England, adding more than 300 new jobs to the existing workforce of 4,000 who’ve been given extra training to handle the premium quality standards of the Infiniti brand.
For the first time, the UK plant will be the sole manufacturer of the model supplying the worldwide markets and will lead the way in the company’s global expansion plans.
From my experience of a few miles behind the wheel, it’s impressive both to look at and drive. It stays true to the design cues in the original 2013 concept and does a good job in combining coupe-like styling with a dynamic stance. It bears more than a passing resemblance to Volvo’s V40 and the Mercedes A Class, but in the latter case, that’s not surprising as it shares the German’s platform as part of the alliance with Daimler.
That link is emphasised on the inside too. Many of the dials and switches are familiar fittings from Mercs, especially the window switches and single wiper/indicator stalk. That’s not a bad thing. Components like these are given a lot of work and it’s good to know that they’re tried and tested.
What’s especially impressive about the Q30 is the comfort and quietness of the car, even when pushing hard. Infiniti say sound levels inside the car are lower than all the Q30’s rivals, with a 10% improvement in what’s called ‘audibility’ over the competition as a result of reductions in vibration and harshness when driving at speeds of up to 75mph.
The high-rigidity bodyshell plays a major role, mitigating the noise and vibrations caused by driving over broken or inconsistent road surfaces, and allowing the suspension to soak up more effectively the stuff that can take away the enjoyment of a journey.
It also has a new Active Noise Cancellation system which emits sound waves through the four door speakers to counteract distracting noises such as low frequency booming from the engine….but that’s only available on the biggest 2.2 litre diesel option.
The build quality is superb and the overall feel is of a higher standard than you’d normally expect at this level in a five door family hatch.
The 1.5 litre diesel is expected to be the biggest seller with claimed economy of 72mpg and CO2 of only 103g/km but it’s not the quickest on the block although quite happy as a cruiser. On the petrol front, there’s a 1.6 litre with 119bhp and a more powerful turbocharged 2.0 litre for the Sport spec of the test car which sits 15 mms lower. It also had the new all-wheel drive system which can send up to 50% of the engine’s power to the rear wheels through an electro-hydraulically-controlled multi-disc clutch for more stable drive and greater security in dodgy conditions.
The face of the Sport version is slightly different from the rest of the three trim- level range, with a more substantial front bumper and grille. Body-coloured side sills lead to a big rear bumper with dark chrome dual rectangular exhausts. That’s rounded off with 19-inch alloy wheels.
The Sport seats with integrated headrests are comfortable and supportive and there’s plenty of storage around the cabin and in the cargo area, although legroom in the back is neat, especially if the front seats are occupied by long-leggers.
The electronically-controlled power steering has been tuned for a smooth feel and speed-sensitive response which make it more comfortable to drive at low speed in congested city streets, or highly stable at high speeds on the open road.
Infiniti also offer some nice new paint jobs which help make the car look pretty good in the metal. With the top-of-the-range model with all the toys coming in under £32,000 it comes together in an attractive package.
It’s been a while coming and it’s good to see a global car being built solely in Britain. I’m sure it will do much to attract new buyers to Infiniti…..and beyond.
CAR: Infiniti Q30 Sport 2.0i 4WD
PRICE: £31,930
ENGINE: 1991cc 4 cyl in line DOHC turbocharged
POWER: 208hp
TORQUE: 350 Nm
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 143 mph. 0-62 mph 7.3 secs
ECONOMY: 42 mpg combined
CO2 EMISSIONS: 156 g/km
TT Rating: 
