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| Published
on 23
Aug
2013 |
All rights reserved.
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Why does this page
starts with the name "Skyline V37" instead of "Infiniti Q50"? Because I
always prefer to call cars by their domestic names in the first place.
Admittedly, the domestic sales of Skyline is so negligible that the
Infiniti version is by far more important now. It goes without saying
that Nissan wants to promote the Infiniti brand to the level of BMW and
Audi in the global market. In the past 2 decades or so it failed to do
so. Now it is upgrading its effort. The first move was to relocate its
headquarters to Hong Kong (although engineering remains to be carried
out in Japan). The second was to establish its own design studio so
that it is given a unique design language. The third is to increase its
presence in Europe by offering diesel engines and a hatchback model
(this will be achieved by the collaboration with Mercedes). Lastly, the
new marketing decided to adopt a new nomenclature to give its cars
clearer identities. From now on all model names will start with the
letter Q and follow by a double-digit number which represents its
class. As a result, the outgoing G37 Sedan becomes Q50. The G37 Coupe
will become Q60 and M-series will be renamed to Q70. SUVs and
crossovers will start with QX, but that will be a story that I am not
going to touch.
The new Q50 can be described as an old wine in new bottle. It is
derived from the existing platform which could be traced back to the
V35 Skyline of 2001. Its basic layout is carried over, such as a
long-for-the-class, 2850 mm wheelbase, front-mid-mounted VQ-series
engine, rear-wheel drive (AWD is optional), double-wishbones and
multi-link
suspensions. Enclosing them is a new body shell styled with strong
influence from the earlier Essence concept. Its special grille,
sculpted front end and twisted C-pillars try very hard – probably too
hard – to distinguish itself from the mainstream. Some might find it
overstyled in some areas, but the general proportion and tail are quite
conventional and it fails to match its German rivals for character.
Size-wise, the car is a little longer, wider but slightly lower than
the car it replaces. Unsurprisingly, the body is made of more
high-strength steel to improve rigidity, crash safety as well as NVH
suppression. Nissan stressed that the car has excellent aerodynamics –
drag coefficient is 0.26 while both front and rear lift are zero.
In
fact, as far back as 2001 the Skyline V35 already achieved the same
figures (see my old report).
Sometimes progress does not happen as fast as we anticipated.
Inside, the Infiniti continues to offer remarkable space for its class,
thanks to its long wheelbase. The added width now brings increased
shoulder room, whereas thinner seats improve front and rear legroom a
little bit. The 500-liter boot is also among the largest in class. The
main structure of the cabin remains but its packaging is all new. Build
quality and materials have been vastly upgraded such that there is no
longer much to complain about. The twin-touch screen center console
looks modern and functions well. The upper screen displays navigation
map while the lower one controls audio, air-con and other functions. It
is intuitive to use. More problematic is the interior design, which is
rather old-school. It might look acceptable today, but I am sure in a
couple of years time it will become outdated beside its new generation
rivals.
The Q50 offers 3 engines: a 170 hp 2.1-liter turbo diesel four-pot
supplied by Mercedes (the "220CDI" engine), a 328 hp 3.7-liter VQ37VHR
V6 (carried over from the old car) and a 360 hp hybrid powertrain
consisting of a 3.5-liter V6 and a 67 hp electric motor (transplanted
from M35h). The diesel serves the European version only, while American
market is available with the other two. Largest selling should be the
VQ37VHR. As always, it is strong on top end power (thanks partly to the
VVEL variable valve lift) but low-end torque is weak by the class norm.
In the old car, the latter problem might be overcome by opting the good
six-speed manual gearbox. Unfortunately, the new car has the manual
abandoned and made the 7-speed automatic compulsory. While it isn't a
bad tranny, its gearshift is nowhere as responsive as the ZF 8-speed
auto that BMW and Audi use. As a result, the car feels slower and is
actually slower than BMW 335i and Audi A4 3.0 TFSI. Ditto the
four-cylinder diesel. Mercedes reserves the most powerful (204 hp)
version for its own, so the diesel Infiniti is not going to challenge
the best German diesel rivals for performance.
More special is the hybrid powertrain. As in M35h, its electric motor
is housed inside the transmission case. A pair of computer-controlled
clutches replaces the conventional torque converter and are used to
engage/disengage the engine and motor. Transition between power sources
is therefore not as smooth as the CVT camp, but it is quite responsive.
Nissan quotes a 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds, thanks largely to the
additional 214 lbft of low-end torque contributed by the motor. It is
also pretty frugal, returning fuel economy figures matching a
four-cylinder 328i. Unfortunately, it is too expensive to be
competitive on the marketplace. Moreover, carrying 1800 kg it is not as
agile as the BMW.
The handling of Q50 is not bad actually. In Sport trim (with firmer
suspensions and wide rubbers) it balances and grips quite well, but the
ride is not composed enough to rival the German cars, Lexus IS or
Cadillac ATS. The lack of adaptive dampers hurts.
Ridiculously, Nissan opted to spend money on the sophisticated Direct
Adaptive Steering. It is the world's first steer-by-wire system. There
is no mechanical linkage between the steering rack and the steering
wheel (note: it does have a mechanical backup system that works when
electronics fail, but in normal condition it is decoupled by a clutch).
Electronic sensors detect the steering wheel angle and signals the
electric motor to turn the steering rack. Meanwhile, an actuator
mounted at the steering wheel column generates resistance and
self-centering forces and feedback to the driver. In short, it answers
a question nobody asks, creating an extra layer of isolation between
man and machine. What benefits does it give? Well, it manages to
eliminate unwanted noises like kickback and vibration, and the steering
might be a bit more accurate because the rack can now be hard mounted
on the chassis without using bushings. However, on the road the
steering feels cold, and the feedback it brings is very artificial. Not
only it fails to inspire driving pleasure but it sometimes brings
doubts about who is actually guiding the car, because the DAS allows
the intervention of lane-departure prevention system to correct the
steering. Like many first generation new technologies, it is a failure.
Maybe the next generation will be better, but at this moment it serves
only to ruin the car.
You cannot avoid DAS on the Hybrid, but on other models it is optional.
However, even without DAS fitted I suppose the new Infiniti Q50 is not
going
to rock the leading status of its German rivals. Neither can it match
the more versatile Lexus IS and charismatic Volvo S60. There is still a
long way to go to promote the Infiniti brand to world class.
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Verdict:  |
Published
on 9
Mar 2016
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All rights reserved.
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Q50 Red Sport 400
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2 years ago, Nissan
created the Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge concept by installing a 560 hp GT-R
engine under its bonnet. It thrilled many motoring journalists and
became the most anticipated model from the brand. However, I have never
believed in the idea. In my opinion, it made little commercial sense
thus had no chance to win the approval of Carlos Ghosn. My prediction
turned out to be true, unfortunately, when Nissan announced its
cancellation last autumn. However, what we didn’t know then was that at
the same time Infiniti was working quietly on a cheaper, more
down-to-earth performance version of Q50. It would be named Red Sport
400. You may call it simply RS400. Doesn't it sound exotic?
The RS400 sees the first application of VR30DDTT engine, a 3.0-liter
direct injection twin-turbo V6. It replaces the naturally aspirated
VQ37VHR on Q50 and is slated to replace all the aging VQ-series V6s of
Nissan. The new V6 is pretty lightweight at 221 kg (including turbos
and intercoolers), thanks in part to using plasma-sprayed cylinder
coating instead of cast iron liners. It also employs modern features
like integrated exhaust manifolds, electrical VVT and direct injection.
The V6 offers 2 states of tune: the base version runs a maximum turbo
boost pressure of 0.6 bar, produces 300 hp and 295 lbft of torque,
while the hotter version of RS400 employs 1.0 bar to achieve 400 hp at
6400 rpm and 350 lbft of torque from 1600 to 5200 rpm. It is both
powerful and flexible.
400 hp is a lot of power for a performance sedan not destined to rival
the likes of M3, C63 or RS4. Instead, the Red Sport 400 targets at the
cheaper 340i, C43 or S4. Compared with these rivals, its engine output
is clearly superior. Nevertheless, its home-grown 7-speed automatic is
disappointingly slow-reacting. The car is also a little overweight at
1700 kg, even before adding AWD hardware. Therefore, its straight line
performance is no quicker than its less powerful German rivals.
Moreover, it
doesn’t feel very quick subjectively, blame to a dull and understated
exhaust note.
Disappointment can be found in the chassis as well. The Red Sport’s
265/35R19 run-flat rear tires look wide enough, but provide limited
traction and grip. It slips on full-throttle acceleration and slides
abruptly if you are aggressive in slow corners. The electronic
stability control works overtime to save the game. Nissan should have
given it better tires.
Better is the suspension, which finally gets adaptive dampers. It is
slightly firmer than desired in Sport modes, but keeps the car stable
in corners.
However, any hope for an above-average rating is once again washed away
by the
DAS steer-by-wire system. Nissan said it has revised its control logic
and fine tune its characteristics to deliver a response “more akin to
conventional steering”. If so, why not simply revert to conventional
power steering? On the road, it does feel a bit more direct and better
weighted, but still fails to match the consistency, precision and
feedback of
conventional steering. That said, you might choose DAS over the
standard electrical power steering, because the latter is even worse on
the Q50. Its engineers seem to confuse “feedback” with “vibration”,
letting a constant stream of vibration passing through the steering
wheel to your hands without delivering any true information. As long as
Infiniti is developed by someone knowing little about driving
pleasure, it is hopeless to see a world-class Infiniti performance
sedan, no matter how many horsepower it possesses. Perhaps it is time
to bring in the GT-R team.
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| Verdict: |
Published
on 6
Oct 2016
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All rights reserved.
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Infiniti Q60
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Who says the
mid-size coupe market is dying? Apart from traditional players BMW
4-Series, Mercedes C-class Coupe and Audi A5, in the last couple of
years the class is joined with Cadillac ATS, Lexus RC and, lately,
Infiniti Q60. Can the new comers really catch enough sales to make
money? I doubt, but to the car buying public more choices and more
competition should be only good news.
Like most rivals, Infiniti Q60 sells mainly for its looks.
Mechanically, it is largely the same as its sedan sibling, Q50, even
sharing the same 2850 mm wheelbase. The engines, transmission, steering
and suspension are all carried over, as is much of the interior with
the exception of rear seats, of course. Ridiculously, deleting two
doors and downsizing rear passenger space actually adds weight.
According to official figures, a Q60 with 2-liter turbo base engine
tips the scale at an incredible 1690 kg, 200 kilos heavier than a
Mercedes C300 Coupe which shares the same motor (remember, Mercedes
supplies the M274 motor to Nissan). Meanwhile, the range-topping Q60
Red Sport 400 weighs 1750 kg on the kerb, or even 1825 kg with 4WD
option checked. This makes the 1555 kg BMW 440i, 1615 kg Audi S5 and
1660 kg Mercedes-AMG C43 4matic look like flyweight in comparison.
Moreover, the Infiniti coupe does not have its weight distributed
evenly between the two axles. Its front-to-rear balance range from
55:45 for the smallest engine model to 58:42 for the most powerful AWD
model. All these hard facts put it in an inferior position against its
German rivals.
But then the Q60 has a killer look. Yes, its high waistline makes it
less sleek than I wished, but it is undeniably a handsome car, with
some nice touches in the fine details and a characterful C-pillar
design. If mid-size premium coupes are all about styling, then it
should have a good chance to succeed. Get inside, it is also nicely
crafted, with a build quality and trim materials surpassing the
standard of BMW, if not exactly in the league of Mercedes and Audi. The
unique sports seats are supportive and comfortable. On the downside,
the switches are Nissan-grade rather than top notch, and there are
plenty of them to make the interior look busy. Modern interior design
should emphasize simplicity by integrating most functions into the
infotainment system. The Infiniti just screws up the game by splitting
those functions into 2 screens, which is unintuitive or even confusing.
Another weakness is rear accommodation. While its German rivals are
able to fit people of 5-foot-10 or so, the Q60 manages only 5-foot-6,
blame to that sloping roofline which is key to its handsome look.
Since the car is so heavy, it does not feel as quick as its horsepower
numbers suggested. The range-topping VR30DDTT twin-turbo V6 is claimed
to produce 400 hp, but it never feels that powerful. In fact, a BMW
440i feels quicker off the line, and I suppose the C43 Coupe and new
Audi S5 should feel quicker still. Apart from weight problem, Nissan
should also tackle the slightly laggy response of its 7-speed automatic
gearbox which adds to the impression of soft acceleration. Ditto the
V6’s lack of exhaust note. Its smoothness and quietness might serve a
luxury saloon perfectly, but on a performance coupe claimed to have 400
horsepower, it sounds too tamed, failing to thrill its driver. A
variable exhaust could easily solve the problem.
The chassis also lacks sparkles. Like Audi, the Infiniti uses stiffer
springs to limit body motions due to its nose-heavy balance. As a
result, it rides firmly, even with the adaptive dampers (which is
standard on only the top model) left in normal mode. When the road
surface gets rougher, the ride becomes uncomfortably stiff, lacking the
effortless suppleness you would find on BMW or Mercedes. Body control
is about spot-on, but blame to the excessive weight and unideal
balance, the car does not feel as agile as you would expect for a
coupe. Its turn-in is a bit slow. At the limit, it runs into terminal
understeer, giving you no option of power slide. Moreover, it fails to
engage its driver through the steering. The standard electrical power
steering is saloon-light and delivers limited feel. At least its
response is more consistent than the notorious Dynamic Active Steering,
which is a US$1000 option. DAS succeeds to mask the real world and let
you play virtual reality. It keeps reminding you that the “feedback” is
artificial, and sometimes surprises you with unproportionate response.
We hate it on the Q50 sedan, and hate it even more on the coupe.
It seems that Nissan fails to figure out which is the best DAS setting,
so it simply offers you 7 modes to choose from. On the other hand, the
adaptive suspension has 2 modes, the powertrain has 4 modes and the
stability control has another 2 modes, so you will have plenty of fun
to try all these combinations before reaching the conclusion that none
of them could return real driving thrills. Brilliant.
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| Verdict: |
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Q50 2.2d
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2013
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| Front-engined,
RWD |
| Steel monocoque |
| Mainly steel |
| 4790 / 1820 / 1445 mm |
2850 mm
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Inline-4 diesel
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| 2143 cc |
DOHC 16 valves
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VTG turbo
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CDI
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170 hp
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295 lbft
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| 7-speed automatic |
F: double-wishbone
R: multi-link |
| - |
| 225/55WR17 |
1669 kg
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| 143 mph (c) |
8.0 (c)
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| - |
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Q50S 3.7
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2013
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| Front-engined,
RWD |
| Steel monocoque |
| Mainly steel |
| 4805 / 1820 / 1445 mm |
| 2850 mm |
V6, 60-degree
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| 3696 cc |
DOHC 24 valves, DVVT, VVL
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-
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-
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328 hp
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269 lbft
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7-speed automatic
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F: double-wishbone
R: multi-link |
| - |
| 245/40WR19 |
1667 kg
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| 155 mph (limited) |
5.3* / 5.2**
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13.1* / 13.2**
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Q50S Hybrid
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2013
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| Front-engined,
RWD |
| Steel monocoque |
| Mainly steel |
| 4805 / 1820 / 1445 mm |
| 2850 mm |
| V6, 60-degree, Atkinson cycle +
electric motor |
| 3498 cc |
DOHC 24 valves, DVVT
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VTG turbo
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CDI
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302 hp + 67 hp = 360 hp
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258 lbft + 214 lbft = 402 lbft
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| 7-speed automatic |
F: double-wishbone
R: multi-link |
| - |
| 245/40WR19 |
1802 kg
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| 155 mph (limited) |
4.9 (c) / 5.1**
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| 12.5** |
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Performance
tested by: *R&T, **C&D
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Q50 2.0t
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2014
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| Front-engined,
RWD |
| Steel monocoque |
| Mainly steel |
| 4785 / 1820 / 1445 mm |
2850 mm
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Inline-4
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| 1991 cc |
DOHC 16 valves, DVVT
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Turbo
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DI
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211 hp
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258 lbft
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7-speed automatic
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F: double-wishbone
R: multi-link |
| - |
225/55R17
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1663 kg
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| 152 mph (est) |
7.2 (est)
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| - |
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Q50 3.0t
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2016
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| Front-engined,
RWD |
| Steel monocoque |
| Mainly steel |
| 4785 / 1820 / 1445 mm |
| 2850 mm |
V6, 60-degree
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| 2997 cc |
DOHC 24 valves, DVVT
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Twin-turbo
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DI
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300 hp / 6400 rpm
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295 lbft / 1600-5200 rpm
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7-speed automatic
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F: double-wishbone
R: multi-link |
-
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245/40WR19
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1681 kg
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| 155 mph (limited) |
5.0*
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12.7*
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Q50 Red Sport 400
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2016
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| Front-engined,
RWD |
| Steel monocoque |
| Mainly steel |
| 4805 / 1820 / 1445 mm |
| 2850 mm |
V6, 60-degree
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| 2997 cc |
DOHC 24 valves, DVVT
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Twin-turbo
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DI
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400 hp / 6400 rpm
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350 lbft / 1600-5200 rpm
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7-speed automatic
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F: double-wishbone
R: multi-link |
Adaptive damping
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F: 245/40WR19
R: 265/35WR19
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1692 kg
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| 155 mph (limited) |
4.5*
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10.5*
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Performance
tested by: *C&D
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Q60 2.0t
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2016
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| Front-engined,
RWD |
| Steel monocoque |
| Mainly steel |
| 4685 / 1850 / 1395 mm |
| 2850 mm |
Inline-4
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| 1991 cc |
DOHC 16 valves, DVVT
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Turbo
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DI
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211 hp
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258 lbft
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7-speed automatic
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F: double-wishbone
R: multi-link
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-
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245/40WR19
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1690 kg
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| 152 mph (est) |
7.3 (est)
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-
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Q60 Red Sport 400 (AWD)
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2016
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Front-engined,
RWD (4WD)
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| Steel monocoque |
| Mainly steel |
| 4685 / 1850 / 1385 mm |
| 2850 mm |
V6, 60-degree
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| 2997 cc |
DOHC 24 valves, DVVT
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Twin-turbo
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DI
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400 hp / 6400 rpm
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350 lbft / 1600-5200 rpm
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7-speed automatic
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F: double-wishbone
R: multi-link |
Adaptive damping
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F: 245/40WR19
R: 265/35WR19
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1751 kg (1825 kg)
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| 155 mph (limited) |
4.8 (c) 4.5* / (4.5*)
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10.3* (10.6*)
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Performance
tested by: *C&D
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Q50
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Q50 Red Sport 400
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Q60
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Copyright©
1997-2016
by Mark Wan @ AutoZine
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