Q50 range boosted by petrol power

Needless to say, it is also keen to grab a slice of the huge profits the dominant Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW vehicles constantly generate worldwide.
Infiniti is already a strong competitor in the USA and other parts of the world, and to boost the Nissan luxury brand's challenge to the Germans, it already has 24 SUVs, saloons, coupés, and cabriolets on the local market which it has just strengthened with the addition of a keenly-awaited petrol version of its Q50 range.

No slouch out of the starting stalls

The latest 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (sourced from Daimler, it is virtually similar, other than engine management tweaks, to that doing duty under the bonnet of the Merc C250) blasts out 155kW and 350Nm and is linked to a silky-smooth 7-speed automatic transmission. With the torque punch coming into play from as low down as 1250 rpm, it certainly is no slouch out of the starting stalls - particularly if you flick the drive-mode selector button to Sport, as I did while winding my way between Steenberg and Stellenbosch at the media introduction.

Owners at the rich end of the car market prefer petrol to diesel engines and automatic rather than manual transmissions, so the latest addition to the Infiniti fleet ticks both boxes. The new two-litre joins the current power range of 2.2-litre direct injection turbo-diesel and the high-performance 3.5-litre V6-hybrid powertrains.

Infiniti has set high targets for future growth by extending its production lines internationally and setting a target of increasing its model range by 60% as well as increasing its number of powertrains. According to the suits at Infiniti, the brand is already showing encouraging sales growth in this part of the world.

Wide range of fancy kit

As with the current range of Infiniti cars, the petrol version (which is about R77,000 and R27,000 less for its two spec level Q50s than the Merc C250) can also be personalised with a wide range of fancy kit including a sunroof, 18 and 19-inch alloy wheels and Infiniti's navigation system. It also offers five different option packs branded as the Multimedia Pack (R30,800) Welcome Pack (R21,800), Visibility Pack (R20,310), Steering Pack (R12,000) and a Safety Shield Pack (R27,000), all too detailed to describe in detail here, so pop in to your nearest Infiniti dealer and let a salesperson earn his keep by explaining it all to you.

In addition to the optional extras, buyers also have a choice of eight exterior colours, with metallic costing R3,000 extra.

The new petrol version is available at two specification levels, Premium and Sport, and needless to say, like the rest of the Q50 fleet, it has a wall-to-wall array of fancy comfort, safety, connectivity and performance niceties including stop start, rear view camera, drive mode selector, Bluetooth connectivity, an advanced airbag system, cruise control, speed limiter, heated power mirrors, Halogen auto-level headlights, LED Front / rear fog lamps, parking sensors, rain sensing wipers, dual touch-screens, dual zone aircon... the list just goes on and on, so take a deep breath before reading on because also on the list are a multi-function steering wheel, keyless entry, 17" alloy wheels, leather seat upholstery, front heated seats, auto-dimming rear view mirror and a tyre pressure monitoring system - and that only describes the equipment on the lower-specced Premium model. The higher-priced Sport version has all of the above, plus a lot more!

Looking for something unusual?

In terms of looks and onboard equipment, the latest Infiniti has narrowed the gap between the wannabes and the market dominators. It is a good-looking car, quite strikingly different from the norm so it is likely to appeal to buyers looking for something unusual; equally classy but with different styling and character.

The latest petrol-user handles well and although the suspension becomes really thumping taut on rougher patches of tar (partially also due to the large wheel size) and the steering a tad over-sharp when the car is in Sport mode, it does give this particular Q50 a delightfully spirited personality, making overtaking quick and safe. Through the twisties it also holds the road remarkably well for its weight and size, with very little body lean.

Tootling along in Eco mode turns the car into a gentle gliding carpet ride. The seats are comfortable and there are acres of space in the living quarters. The cabin is also well-insulated against outside noises. The instrumentation and switches are logically positioned (except for the button to switch off the stop-start function, which we couldn't locate) and the cabin looks and feels upper-crust without falling into the over-fancy and over-complicated trap like some cars at this end of the market.

The new Q50 is a doddle to handle in traffic but it really excels as a comfortable open-road cruiser. In summary, perhaps not quite up to the very high standards set by the segment leaders but it's certainly not light years behind and it already presents an attractive alternative at a very competitive price.

The new Q50 petrol models and prices are:

• Q50 2.0-litre petrol Premium - R430,000
  
• Q50 2.0-litre petrol Sport - R430,000