New for 2017
Changes for 2017 include the addition of new 2.0t Sport and 2.0t Sport AWD models to the lineup and a new Design Package for V6-equipped Sport models.
A sports sedan gets sportier
The 2017 Q50 is INFINITI’s answer to German sports sedans like the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4. To compete with those segment stalwarts, INFINITI deploys an impressive array of technology from a steer-by-wire system to adaptive suspension. The Q50 got a major powertrain overhaul for the 2016 model year, and the changes continue for 2017 with the addition of more Sport models to the lineup.
Performance
Coming off a major update for the 2016 model year, the 2017 INFINITI Q50 features one of the most comprehensive powertrain lineups in its segment. These powertrains are combined with some of the most sophisticated technology available in a car in this price range.
In keeping with the trend toward smaller, more efficient engines, INFINITI now offers the Q50 with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Developed in concert with Daimler, it produces 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Like all Q50 powertrains, the 2.0-liter engine is mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission with standard rear-wheel drive and optional all-wheel drive. Four-cylinder models get an EPA-rated 26 mpg combined (23 mpg city, 31 mpg highway) with rear-wheel drive, and 24 mpg combined (22 mpg city, 28 mpg highway) with all-wheel drive.*
INFINITI also offers a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6, which replaces the naturally aspirated 3.7-liter V6 that has been in use since the Q50 launched in 2014. It produces 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque in standard trim and 400 hp and 350 lb-ft in the Q50 Red Sport 400 model. Like the 2.0-liter engine, all models with the 3.0-liter engine come standard with rear-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive optional.
The EPA rates the 300-hp version at 23 mpg combined (20 mpg city, 29 mpg highway) with rear-wheel drive, and 22 mpg combined (19 mpg city, 27 mpg highway) with all-wheel drive.* The Red Sport 400 gets 22 mpg combined (20 mpg city, 26 mpg highway) with rear-wheel drive, and loses 1 mpg in the city category with all-wheel drive.*
In addition to these sporty models, INFINITI continues to offer a Q50 Hybrid model with its Direct Response Hybrid system. The powertrain consists of a 3.5-liter V6, electric motor, and lithium-ion battery pack. Total system output is 360 hp, and the hybrid is rated at 29 mpg combined (27 mpg city, 32 mpg highway) with rear-wheel drive, and 28 mpg combined (26 mpg city, 30 mpg highway) with all-wheel drive.*
In addition to its sophisticated powertrains, the Q50 also features INFINITI’s Direct Adaptive Steering system, a steer-by-wire system that eliminates the mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels. In addition, the Dynamic Digital Suspension system actively adjusts the shock absorbers to control body motion while cornering.
Features
The 2017 INFINITI Q50 is a four-door, five-seat luxury sedan. It’s available in four trim levels, priced starting from $33,950.**
The Q50 is a true luxury sedan, with a generous array of standard equipment that includes dual-zone automatic climate control, tilt-and-telescopic steering column, LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, Bluetooth®, and SiriusXM® satellite radio. The Q50 Premium model includes all of those features, plus a Bose® 16-speaker audio system, moonroof, auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass, and Advanced Climate Control System with Plasmacluster and Grape Polyphenol filter.
The Q50 Sport model incorporates all of the applicable features from the base and Premium models, and adds 19-inch alloy wheels, Dynamic Digital Suspension, leather-appointed sport seats, sport brakes, paddle shifters, driver’s memory system, and auto-dimming exterior mirrors with reverse tilt-down feature, and fast-ratio electric power steering.
Finally, the Q50 Red Sport 400 model gains the 400-hp 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, plus model-specific exhaust-tip and wheel designs, and summer performance run-flat tires.
Design
The 2017 INFINITI Q50 boasts a handsome exterior design that is also distinctly INFINITI. The front end is defined by the luxury brand’s signature double-arch grille, flanked by sculpted LED headlights. The body sides have a muscular look thanks to distinctive “bone” sculpting and another INFINITI signature styling touch: the Crescent C-pillars. On the practical side, the Q50 features wide door openings for easier ingress and egress and a drag coefficient as low as 0.26 for aerodynamic efficiency.
Befitting a car with sporting pretensions, the Q50’s interior is focused on the driver. The “double wave” instrument panel allows for an asymmetric layout that places essential controls closer to the driver’s reach. The front and rear seats were designed to distribute body pressure across a wider range of the upper seating surface. Trunk space is 13.5 cubic feet in all models expect the hybrid, which has a smaller, 9.4-cubic-foot cargo area to make room for its battery pack.
Safety
Standard safety equipment on the 2017 Infiniti Q50 includes anti-lock brakes, stability and traction controls, rearview camera, and a full array of airbags. Optional features include an AroundView® Monitor surround-camera system, Backup Collision Intervention, Blind Spot Warning, Blind Spot Intervention, Predictive Forward Collision Warning, Forward Emergency Braking, and Lane Departure Warning and Lane Departure Prevention systems with Active Lane Control.
Verdict
The 2017 INFINITI Q50 brings an impressive array of technology to the luxury sports sedan game.
For more information or to schedule a test drive of the 2017 INFINITI Q50, contact us online or visit 3Birds Template at 505 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, NC 27516.
*2017 EPA Fuel Economy Estimates. Actual mileage may vary with driving conditions – use for comparison only.
**Price is Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP). MSRP excluding destination charge, tax, title, license and options. Dealer sets actual price.
Image: INFINITI
