Four Hundred...
We believed it would have been a matter of time before Infiniti, Nissan’s luxo car brand came up with a car we feel that was aimed squarely at a fat-engined BMW 3 Series sedan. The C segment executive sedan has long been seen by many, one which is crowded with compact luxury cars which represent the aspirations of what would be the young executive. Base models are usually lapped up by those who have just gotten themselves through the door. The Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 represents a performance oriented car for the more seasoned who loves a compact that delivers that bit (a lot) more in terms of outright performance, handling, and as always, that something special.
What we like:
Good daily performance oriented gentleman’s transport. Comfortable ride. Good build quality. Nice infotainment display powered by Intel
What we dislike:
Sport+ mode acoustics are a dampener to the car’s image. Steering feel a little too loose in ‘Comfort’ mode.
What does a 3.0 V6 with a pair of turbochargers, together with a heavy right foot do? It goes like stink! The VR30DDTT engine is closely related to the one found in the Nissan GTR. For the Q50, Infiniti has managed to squeeze out a massive 400hp. With maximum torque of 475Nm made available at just 1,750rpm, I soon learnt that powering the car hard from the lights would result in a sense that the rear wheels would want to come around, if you are not alert.
The seven-speed automatic transmission does a good job with quick gear changes. It does take a while to get used to the fixed paddle shifters behind the wheel, instead of following the wheel as you turn. As most of us might have our fingers on them as we are driving aggressively around the corners. Feeling them rub against my fingers comes across as a little too strange for me, while flicking the Red Sport around.
In ‘Comfort’ mode, the Q50 drives like most other vanilla Executive Compact sedans. Gentle on the behind, with plenty of suspension play, and providing a relaxing drive.
Switching over to ‘Sport+’ mode reveals a firmer ride, but not the brutal kind you might find in say, the Mercedes-Benz C43 we recently tested. There is still a substantial amount of suspension play and dampening going on. The ‘Sport+’ mode, there is also a change in exhaust and engine note. If you are expecting that haunting roar you might get from an equivalent German-built sedan, or one of those dual-toned burbles, you’d be quite wrong, instead, the engine note becomes heavier. Yes, it does sound sportier, but in a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner under the hood kind of way. If only Infiniti did put a little more effort in their acoustics.
Steering feel in the ‘Comfort’ setting comes across as a little loose, with it weighing down under harder acceleration. While under ‘Sport’ and ‘Sport+’ modes, it does feel correctly weighted. Overall, it does not have as razor-sharp steering responsiveness compared to the 3 Series. Pitching the Red Sport around the bends, results in a 1,740kg car that can easily oversteer. Fortunately, the stability programme does catch the car, and tries to right itself.
Road noise is kept to a bare minimal, with sufficient insulation to keep most unwanted sounds out… Apart from the performance mode vacuum cleaner noise.
Over time, I did come to appreciate how well built the Q50 is. The car does deliver well on performance. As a practical compact-sized Executive sedan, it does very well, and serves as a fitting alternative over its German counterparts.
Conclusion
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