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2017 Infiniti QX30 First Drive

If you've heard anything before about this car, the 2017 Infiniti QX30, it probably has to do with its corporate parents, an odd couple if there ever was one. Renault-Nissan, Infiniti's corporate overlords, inked a deal with Mercedes-Benz to share some mechanical components and platforms. That deal put a new, very modern 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four under the hood of the Q50 and was the genesis of what you're looking at here. What are you looking at here? We drove this car in 2015, when it was called a Q30 – originally it was going to be the lower-riding counterpart to the slightly jacked-up QX30. Then Infiniti decided it'd make more sense to sell all variants of this vehicle as CUVs in the US, so we have three slightly different flavors of the QX30 instead. There's the normal version; the Sport, which is 0.6 inches lower; and the AWD, which is 1.2 inches higher. Infiniti brought us to Seattle to sample the Sport and AWD flavors on a semi-circumnavigation of the Puget Sound. It didn't rain a drop, thanks for asking, and instead was sunny and mild the whole time. It's easy to make the QX30 sound more confusing than it actually is. This is essentially a Mercedes-Benz GLA250 with full exterior styling and partial interior design by Infiniti, built in the UK alongside several other Nissans. The powertrain and chassis, including the optional AWD system, were all "co-developed" with partner Daimler, with final calibration and tuning by Infiniti engineers. Here's another way of explaining it: Infiniti needs an entry-level car to appeal to new premium car shoppers, and the QX30 is the prescription. It's a hatchback that's been given the mildest of CUV treatments and a lot of marketing descriptors. That's because hatchbacks are sales death in America. In Europe, they'll see right through the CUV posturing and realize it's just a hatchback offered in three different suspension heights. Whatever you call it to make it palatable to Americans, it's a useful little vehicle. This car is mechanically identical to the Q30, so there are some things we can gloss over. Both are powered by a transverse-mounted 2.0-liter Mercedes inline-four. It's a turbocharged, direct-injection gasoline engine, and it sure feels like one. It sounds like a rock tumbler full of nickels and runs out of breath at about 5,000 rpm. All versions make 208 hp at 5,500 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque between 1,200 and 4,400 rpm – more than adequate but less than thrilling.

Infiniti teases G-replacing Q50 ahead of Detroit debut

Preparing for the introduction of its new naming system and redesigned entry-level sedan, Infiniti has released a brief teaser video for the 2014 Q50. As a refresher, the Q50 is the replacement for the G37 sedan, and while we've seen spy shots of this car before, this video is our first detailed look at the production car.
All we get to see in the video is a shot of the headlight, but we get to see key elements like the stylish daytime running lights, crescent-shaped parking lights and adaptive low beams. The overall shape of the headlight is very close to what we saw earlier this year on the LE Concept. We have to wait until the Detroit Auto Show kicks off in a couple weeks to see the Q50's full design (although we're sure there will be some leaks before that point), but until then, check out the short video posted after the jump.

Infiniti EV delayed to add better tech

An evolution in lithium-ion batteries and "interesting advances in electric technology" are said to be responsible for the delay of Infiniti's electric car, the production version of the LE concept first shown at the New York Auto Show in 2012. At the time of its introduction, Infiniti said we'd have a version we could buy within two years; that timeline became 2015, and now Automotive News Europe reports that it's"still within in our mid-term plan" but officials aren't saying how long the delay will be.
When shown, the LE had a 24kWh lithium-ion battery and a 100kw electric motor producing 134 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque, a 100-mile range and the potential for wireless charging. It isn't clear if the postponement will bring improved specs or perhaps improved packaging and technology - or both. All we have for now is that the new timeframe is "not significantly" beyond the original plan.