JAPANESE car maker Infiniti’s latest venture in the premium class sees it take on the established and much-admired sports coupe offerings from Mercedes, Audi and BMW.

It’s a big ask for the Q60, which certainly looks the part with its low and wide stance and muscular lines.

Armed with a choice of only two petrol engines – a two-litre 208hp turbocharged petrol unit and an advanced all-new 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo offering pumping out 400hp – there’s an attention to detail that will give it a fighting chance against tough odds.

Let’s start with the ride. Power is channelled through the rear wheels for immediate responses, while the so-called dynamic digital suspension aided by new electronic and adaptive dampers provides a slightly firm but comfortable feel.

Infiniti has tinkered with its direct adaptive steering to give more direct steering responses, employing digital components to improve feel and feedback and a newly-enhanced drive mode selector gives drivers the option to personalise and tailor performance.

Charged with introducing new technologies and power trains, the Q60 employs some really useful features such as LED headlights that spread light evenly on the road ahead.

With an aggressive stance, there’s a definite statement of intent in the design, where the attention to detail again comes to the fore.

Attractive 19-inch aluminium alloy wheels come as standard. The wheel gaps – the spaces between tyres and wheel arches – are tighter than ever, giving it a low, powerful stance.

Up front of the plush cabin, the Q60’s design emphasises the dashboard’s focus on the driver, with the centre console housing twin touchscreens (eight-inch upper and seven-inch lower) as part of the InTouch central control system – the latest generation of the company’s infotainment technology.

The interior trim of the Q60 includes high-end accents and bold, modern-looking materials. Premium models are available in black or white leather with brushed aluminium or black wood accents. Sport models are standard in black leather with well-matched violet carbon fibre accent, but also propose a brighter interior finish: red or white leather with a glass fibre accent.

The cabin of the Q60 has been packaged to offer comfortable space for all passengers, in spite of its sports coupe shape.

The all-new 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo engine is the most advanced V6 engine that Infiniti has offered. The 400hp engine provides acceleration from 0-to-62 mph in 5.0 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.

In contrast, the four-cylinder turbo-charged 2.0-litre DIG (direct-injection gasoline) engine delivers 208 hp, shoots from 0 to 62mph in a still-quick 7.3 seconds and has a top speed of 146mph.

A Drive Mode Selector accessed through the 8-inch upper touchscreen allows the drive mode to be selected from standard, snow, eco, sport, sport+’ and personal options.

Compared with its predecessor, a combination of wider wheels and tyres not only adds to the new Q60’s attention-grabbing design, but also improves vehicle handling.

Technological innovation facilitates comfort and convenience in the cabin of the Q60 premium sports coupe, providing a refined and contemporary space for driver and passengers alike. Infiniti’s engineers have worked to minimise Q60’s noise, vibration, and harshness levels.

Making its world debut in a production vehicle, the Q60 is available with a 13-speaker, Bose Performance Series sound system, an optional audio setup which has been tailored to the acoustics of the Q60’s cabin.

Infiniti’s desire to offer drivers a totally in-control driving experience extends to newly-designed high-back, high-bolster seats. Development teams found that many car seats, regardless of vehicle sector, force occupants’ spines into a ‘C’ shape and offer very little shoulder support, placing up to 40 per cent more load on the spine compared to a standing position.

Infiniti’s hallmark ‘spinal support’ seats have been carefully engineered for the Q60 to match the curvature of the spine, providing a consistent level of support and minimising pressure on lower and upper back muscles.

The Q60 is equipped as standard with Infiniti’s In Touch infotainment set-up, which allows occupants to personalise the interior environment and can store profiles for multiple drivers, identified by their intelligent key.

InTouch is able to memorise more than hundreds of settings that the individual can programme themselves. These include engine, suspension, and steering modes, driving seat positions, audio, and navigation settings; display settings, and heating and ventilation preferences.

A suite of driver assistive safety technologies allows the car to monitor for and identify potential hazards, actively assisting the driver to avoid those hazards, and, if a collision is unavoidable, mitigate the effects.

The new infotainment features, which ensure Infiniti remains competitive in the premium connectivity arena, improve comfort, convenience and safety, and reflect the brand’s strategy towards customer-centric and premium mobility services that give confidence to the driver.

 

AT A GLANCE

Infiniti Q60 2.0 Premium Tech

Price: £37,690 (range from £33,990)

Engine: Four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol producing 208hp

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic driving rear wheels

Performance: 0 to 62mph in 7.3 seconds; top speed 146mph

Economy: 41.5mpg combined CO2 emissions: 156g/km

 

RATINGS

Performance: ****

Economy: ***

Ride/Handling: ****

Space/Practicality: ****

Equipment: ****

Security/Safety: ****

Value For Money: ***

OVERALL: ****