… Infiniti Q30 1.5D …
If you want to stand out from the crowd without spending a lot of money, then think Infiniti. Who? Yup, that’s right, Infiniti. Many of you will be aware by now that this is the luxury arm of Nissan, so what you’ll get is more luxury with Nissan reliability and build quality. Not a bad mix, eh?
As for looks, well, that’s a matter of taste. It’s got an awful lot of curves and swooping lines plus a couple of odd kinks in the rear roof pillar. It’s also got a fair bit of front overhang and none at the rear, so there’s no doubt it’s different. Having said that, the wife liked it, so what do I know?
For those of you who don’t give a damn about looks and care more about comfort and performance then there is more to offer. For an SUV styled ‘compact’, it’s a big-ish car tipping the scales at just under 2 tonnes so it might come as a surprise to find a mere 1.5 litre diesel under the bonnet.
With 108bhp on tap, this won’t threaten your adrenalin glands, but it gets along pretty well. Acceleration is modest but cruising is sublime and that’s what will appeal to most buyers. Compared to other small diesels this is quiet and smooth most of the time and only becomes noticeable if you try to get ‘a hurry’ on. Even then there is no harshness just a little rise in the diesel rumble note.
Suspension is on the soft side, again a plus for the kind of buyers who want comfort and economy above all else. There is a little bit of roll in the corners, so just back off and enjoy the cruise.
Infiniti claims a combined fuel consumption figure of 68.9mpg but the best I could achieve was around the 53 mark on a return trip to Dundrennan through the Dalveen pass. That’s still pretty good for the size of car and engine, although if you do want a bit more poke there is a 2.2 litre diesel option and two turbo petrol units of 1.6 and 2 litres in size.
What was disappointing though was the amount of room in the back. Although there is adequate head and leg room up front, two adults in the back will feel a bit hemmed in and if you have a fifth passenger they won’t like it at all. On a personal note I did have one wee niggle. I found the seat cushion quite firm. After two hours driving I was ready for a wee walk before jumping back in and carrying on. Again the wife had an alternative view so have a try yourself before making a decision.
The boot is fairly big too, but it’s not as wide as it would appear from the outside. That’s down to the big haunches over the rear wheel arches. There was plenty of room for bags but the lack of internal width meant there was no room for a folding bike.
Prices start from £21,000, (going up to a hefty £31,000!) but this was the Premium model which cost £26,430 and had the 1400 quid SatNav option fitted. That’s starting to get into serious money territory but when you look at what you get for the price it starts to look much more attractive.
For a start there is a 6 speaker sound system with Bluetooth audio streaming and phonebook functionality. This is touchscreen operated, but also has voice recognition. The touchscreen also doubles as a rear parking camera viewer backed up by front and rear parking sensors.
Naturally you get a leather trimmed multifunction steering wheel in the sumptuous leather lined interior but there are many more practical aids like adaptive brake assist and hill start assist, forward collision warning/stop and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System plus an electronic parking brake. Puddle lights inside the door mirrors are also a good idea. On top of all that, you can also personalise your vehicle with additional piano black trim and chrome highlights inside and out. So if you fancy tricking up the car have look at the Infiniti website where you can ‘build’ and order your own vehicle on line.
Which brings me to the perennial question, would I have one? It’s a pleasant car to drive and it’s an ideal companion for a cruising holiday, so there’s plenty to like in the Q30 and not much to dislike. Although I wouldn’t have one out of choice, the wife would be content. So there’s divided opinion for you.