2008 Infiniti Fx35 Base Sport Utility 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Infiniti QX Sport Inspiration Concept fits perfectly in the QX50's shoes

If there was any doubt about whether the Infiniti QX Sport Inspiration Concept is a preview of the next QX50, the official details presented at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show should erase them. The concept is smaller – a lot smaller – than the last QX70. And despite a recent update to the QX50, the brand's midsize crossover is due for a new model. We're basing that statement on dimensions. The QX Sport Inspiration Concept rides on a 110.2-inch wheelbase, and is 181.1 inches long, 74.8 inches wide, and 65 inches high. The last QX50, meanwhile, rides on a 113.4-inch wheelbase, and is 186.8 inches long, 71.0 inches wide, and 62.7 inches high. Ignore the different lengths – the concept's front and rear overhangs are remarkably short and aren't likely to translate to production – but the wheelbase, width, and most importantly the height, present a footprint that's remarkably similar to the QX50. Combine that with our assessment of the QX Sport Inspiration Concept's styling, and it's a virtual certainty that we're looking at the QX50's successor. As we said yesterday, the high beltline, tight greenhouse, long hood, and aggressive headlights are all trademarks of both the QX50 and QX70. Infiniti didn't say what kind of engine is under this concept car's hood (if there even is one – it might just be an engineless shell), but we're almost certain it's something performance-oriented. That would prove true if and when a new production QX50 is unleashed. We're betting the company will opt for the increasingly familiar setup of the new 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V6, a seven-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive, like what you can get on the Q50 Red Sport 400 and new Q60. With 300- and 400-horsepower versions of this engine available, it could signal an introduction of a two-tier QX50 lineup. We're getting ahead of ourselves, of course. The QX Sport is still only a concept, but Infiniti's latest information dump at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show serves as even stronger evidence that its CUV lineup will grow back to four vehicles sooner rather than later. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

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.

These are the top luxury cars bought by people entering the segment for the first time

Let's say you just got a big promotion at work or the kids are moving out of the house, and you finally have some extra money. You decide to blow it all at once and treat yourself by upgrading your ride. Naturally, you look to a luxury automaker. What do you choose?
Models like the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class may be tailor-made to introduce buyers to the premium segment, but a new study finds that they don't garner the highest rates of non-luxury customer conquests. It turns out that a Volvo leads among folks moving up to a premium brand, and it isn't even one that's made anymore, at that.
A recent study by Polk and IHS Automotive looked at what models had the highest rates of buyers upgrading from a non-luxury segment. The information comes from its new vehicle registration data through April 2014. All ten top models boasted conquest rates of over 50 percent, but the Volvo C70 led the field with 68.01 percent of its customers coming from non-premium brands.