Gear-up, Infiniti are charging off into the sunset and they want you to join them. The luxury division of manufacturing superpower Nissan have been attempting to usurp the industry’s stalwarts for years now, and may just have found the key to unlocking the door.
That key comes in the shape of the QX30, a compact crossover widely touted as a rival to the Audi S3. If the QX30 can unlock the door to crossover stardom, then they will find themselves up to their neck in success. Vehicles such as the Nissan Qashqai have demonstrated how successful a vehicle of this ilk can truly be, and Infiniti will undoubtedly be looking to their parent companies pride and joy for helpful tips.
The QX30 will be unveiled at Switzerland's premier motoring event later in the year, and will be based on the Q30 Hatchback on offer from Infiniti. Luxury vehicles are beginning to take a greater share of the market, and Audi, BMW and Mercedes have unquestionably reaped the rewards of this new-found success. But where do Infiniti fit in? For so many years these three have been like the members of an exclusive club, a club whose door was very difficult to break down. However, Infiniti have broken through and while the quality of Germany’s most esteemed manufacturers hasn’t relented, there has been an opening for a new challenger.
Clued-up members of the motoring press have already speculated on the QX30’s intentions following the release of more exclusive images, and we wait eagerly for the Geneva Motor Show when the QX30 will be wheeled out in all it’s shining glory.
Infiniti have commented that the QX30 ‘’looks beyond the practicality and conformity expected of the segment” which suggests a seriously groundbreaking vehicle could be rubbing shoulders with some of motoring’s well-known faces in the not-so-distant future.
On first impressions the vehicle looks intriguing to say the least. With a jagged exterior design that appears both rugged and stylish the QX30 oozes class combined with a dash of extravagance and grandeur for good measure. It looks certain to offer something completely new to a market threatening to burst at the seams. Showcasing carbon-fibre materials the QX30 will not only look good, but feel equally sleek with a high driving position and brutish, yet agile design.
The Infiniti will borrow a few sections of its arsenal from parent company Nissan’s Qashqai model, with the QX30 being built in the same plant that produced last year’s WhatCar? Car of the Year. Not only will Nissan's most guarded secrets be available to the QX30, the vehicle will be resting on the firm MFA Platform that catapulted the A-Class and GLA into respective critical acclaim.
