News & Reviews- Make: Infiniti

By now you may have heard that the QX30 looks for all parts an Infiniti, but is in fact mostly a Mercedes GLA 250 4Matic under the skin. For most this shouldn't be a problem, because Mercedes makes superb vehicles and the GLA is certainly high on that list.

When first learning of this I questioned why Infiniti didn't just use Nissan's B platform that underpins the Juke, as it's a great little crossover SUV with excellent handling and many other admirable qualities, but no doubt it would've been difficult to adapt Infiniti's definitive design language to the little SUV's unorthodox styling, while it's probably a bit small for this application too. Therefore we have an Infiniti-ized Mercedes, the end result being a subcompact SUV that I truly enjoyed spending time with.

First off I like the way it looks, Infiniti pulling off the design very well. Its front end is 100 percent Infiniti as is its kinked C-pillar, while the LED enhanced headlight and taillight designs are Read Full Story

This year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit saw a renaissance of luxuriously equipped personal sport coupes, but only two of the four shown will see the light of day, at least as far as we know.

Acura's Precision Concept, while really a four-door coupe, was merely a design exercise to introduce a new look for Honda's luxury division, first translated for the road via the brand's refreshed 2017 MDX. Likewise the Buick Avista concept made some believe GM's second-rung luxury division might become relevant outside of China again, but Lexus' jaw-dropping LC 500 is the real deal and will soon join the LC 500h in dealer showrooms. Then again, Infiniti's gorgeous 2017 Q60 Coupe has been available for months already.

The Q60 sits more upright than those unreal show cars, but its lines are still some of the most attractive amongst premium production two-door models. Like its predecessor and premium sport coupe competitors, which include BMW's 4 Series Coupe, Read Full Story

Platform sharing amongst automobile manufacturers has taken place for years. Oftentimes, this sharing makes good fiscal sense within corporations, with General Motors being a great example. If you are fifty-ish or older, then you remember the 1970s Chevy Monte Carlo, Pontiac Grand Prix, Buick Regal, and Oldsmobile Cutlass sharing trim and mechanicals. GM mustered multiple cars from one platform.

Today, Ford and Lincoln share parts amongst their sedans and SUVs, as does Lexus with Toyota providing much of the mechanical goods. Other brands also share mechanicals.  For example, VW Group's vaunted W12 engine has been used in Volkswagen, Audi and Bentley models. Why build something new when you can keep the bean counters happy by dipping into the corporate parts bin?

But what is not always known is manufacturers share technology with other companies, even those they would normally consider to be the "enemy," or a major competitor.

Recently, Toyota restyled Read Full Story

A quick glance at the 2016 Q50 doesn't show much about what's going on behind the scenes, but pop open the beautifully sculpted hood and it's an entirely different story.

The Q50 underwent a complete redesign for 2014 at which point it left its G series past behind and took on its current Q designation, and no one is complaining about its styling. Even well into its third model year it remains one of the more attractive in its highly competitive compact D-segment luxury class, but after this latest year there are many more reasons to sit up and take notice.

The car's previous strength had become its weakness of late. Last year all Q50s came with a standard V6 that walloped each and every rival when it came to base output, the 3.7-litre engine's 328 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque delivering unparalleled bang for the buck yet still not satisfying two important types of customers. The first group are the world's regulatory bodies that keep demanding ever more stringent Read Full Story

I've got good news and bad news. First the bad news: Infiniti has discontinued its multiple award-winning 328 horsepower naturally aspirated 3.7-litre V6 from its Q50 lineup and replaced it with a 208 horsepower 2.0-litre turbocharged four. Ouch!

But wait. Remember there's good news too. That four packs 258 lb-ft of peak torque from just 1,500 rpm and achieves 10.6 L/100km city and 8.4 highway compared to the old 3.7's 12.5 and 8.7 rating, while better yet a completely new 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 strikes back in two states of trim, the first using less fuel than the outgoing model at 12.3 city and 8.5 highway while making a competitive 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque and the second only increasing highway mileage to 9.1 while dishing out 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, which when hooked up to my most recent Q50 tester was enough to get my heart racing faster than anything this side of an M, AMG, RS, F or V branded super sedan, Infiniti not yet playing in the ultra-performance Read Full Story