Infiniti Q30, The Forgotten Premium

Despite offering first-rate products, the Infiniti brand does not end up curdling in our country. With the Infiniti Q30, the Japanese are trying to steal sales from the compacts that dominate the premium world , which are none other than the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Mercedes A-Class.

Infiniti Q30 exterior design

You will like it or not, but it cannot be said that it does not have some daring and worked lines. It is one of the most different and successful CDs of the moment, but that strategy does not always work and you limit the audience to which it is directed too much.

Even so, the front seems very elegant and attractive, with very fluid shapes, lines that convey dynamism and modernity. The huge grille is already a hallmark of all the brand’s models and the curved hood gives it a certain sporty character.

Laterally you start to see those brushstrokes that make you recognize it quickly, with a fairly large ground clearance for a car in its segment and a very peculiar zigzag- shaped C-pillar .

The rear we do not even know how to define it, it is a mix between an SUV and a compact. It seems taller than it really is, and the complexity of the lines makes it a bit difficult to digest, it does not seem ugly to us, but the Japanese trends do not convince us. It is more like the Mercedes GLA than the A-Class.

With everything and with this, the general appearance is muscular and, even if you do not know the brand at all, it feels at the moment that you are not in front of a generalist brand vehicle.

Interior design

The interior has a quality finish as good as that of the Mercedes A-Class. While it is true, it does not look as modern as it should, with a number of buttons that is already a thing of the past.

At the top of the dashboard is the multifunction screen; in a very good position to read quickly. Below are the buttons for the sound system and at the bottom the air conditioning buttons.

Personally, and contrary to the current trend, this type of dashboard brings together the best of both worlds, with all the benefits of the screen but with the speed of handling the most used buttons. Some of them should never have been replaced by another function in complicated touch systems.

The rear seats have the right space for two adults to travel comfortably, but there is not enough room for the knees, and tall people will notice it. They have vents in the central tunnel, which all cars should have.

The boot is small for a compact 4.42 meters long. It has 368 liters, more than a Class A or a Series 1, but these cannot boast of a trunk either. An Audi A3 has 380 and is 11 centimeters shorter.

Engines and dynamics

The mechanical range is one of the strengths of the Infiniti Q30. Mercedes has more than won the hearts of the Spanish, and to say that your cars are equipped with these mechanics causes a lot of tranquility.

In gasoline from an interesting 1.6-liter turbo engine with 122 hp, with which the car achieves very respectable performance for that power level: it accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 9.4 seconds and reaches 200 km / h ; That 1.6 T from Mercedes is a blast.

With the same engine, it is also available with 156 hp, the most recommended mechanics for this car due to its finesse, power and low consumption. At the top of the range is the 211 hp 2.0 Turbo, with which the Infiniti Q30 becomes a fast car but without standing out for the power figure, since it accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 7.2 seconds.

In diesel it has the 1.5 mechanics that Mercedes and Renault have in common, but in this model it is not a very good alternative due to the low power. With 109 hp it does not move with enough ease the 1,359 kilograms of the Q30.

The most recommended with this fuel is the veteran 2.2-liter Mercedes, with which it develops 170 hp and gives the Japanese that strength you expect from a premium car . Accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 8.3 seconds and for consumption in 4.2 liters / 100 km.

Price and conclusion

The starting price is 24,900 euros, a contained figure, and even more so when it is with an engine as solvent as the 1.6 turbo 122 hp. An Audi A3 with a 116 hp gasoline engine costs 26,441 euros, so the price is not the stone of its shoe.

Changing the idea of ​​a Spanish buyer is not easy. We tend to go for the easy, to the known and, if you want a premium compact , the Germans are the first to appear in your mind. Brands like Jaguar or Lexus also suffer something similar, but thanks to them we have the variety of good cars that we have today.