What's the news?
Well, we have seen the outside and now here is the inside of the Infiniti Q30 - Nissan's luxury division's first serious assault on the compact crossover market. Infiniti has been a minority player in the European premium market so far (in spite of significant success in America) but the Q30 is its first proper go at the European market.
We already knew that, thanks to the tech-sharing agreement between Mercedes, Nissan and Renault, the Q30 would share its underpinnings with the A-Class. We didn't realise that it's underpinnings would be quite so similar too. While the centre console and screen are very similar to prior Infinitis, the rest of the cabin is pure A-Class - the dials, the buttons, the lot.
In spite of this, Infiniti is making great play of the car's cabin quality (Italian suede-like-substance on the ceiling and pillars) and comfort (high hip-point for comfort and visibility). "Q30's sculpted exterior and asymmetric cabin design are unmistakably Infiniti," says President of Infiniti, Roland Krueger. "With the Q30, we are entering a new segment for Infiniti and broadening the offer to our customers. This vehicle is a vital part of our strategy to be a top tier global manufacturer of premium cars."
The Q30 gets a public unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show in a couple of weeks and goes on sale late this year. Irish arrangements for Infiniti are yet to be announced.