Infiniti Prototype 10 Concept Reviews

There are exciting new releases planned across the board; from budget hatches to practical SUVs, to exotic supercars. We’ve broken them down into segments and likely price categories to help you. We've based our price estimations on the current market, but some estimations could change in the future, and some model ranges span across price categories, so be sure to check our other stories...New cars for 2014 | less than $20,000New cars for 2014 | $20,000-$40,000New cars for 2014 | $40,000-$59,000New cars for 2014 | over $100,000 LIGHT CARSBMW i3: BMW will bring the high tech i3 city car down under from September, with the pure-electric i3 BEV expected to start at about $60,000, and a range-extended i3 REX version with a 647cc petrol generator further up the price scale. (Approximately $60,000)SMALL CARSAudi A3 sedan: Audi will add a sedan version of its A3 small car to the existing Sportback hatch lineup from January, with the hot S3 version to follow in April, and the drop-top A3 Cabriolet (from about $57k) to complete the lineup in about September. (Approximately $65,000)BMW 2 Series: The discontinued 1 Series coupe will be replaced by the new 2 Series coupe in around May, and will likely mirror the petrol and diesel drivetrains of the existing 1 Series hatch. A soft-top convertible is also in the works, but its launch date is still up in the air. (Approximately $45,000-$85,000)FAMILY CARSInfiniti Q50: Infiniti models are set to become a more common sight on Australian roads before June, with the Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series-rivalling Q50’s arrival, boasting fresh styling, rear-wheel drive, and a choice of diesel or hybrid drivetrains. (Approximately $51,900-$73,900)Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Mercedes' new C-Class sedan and wagon are due around mid-year, with a range of new engines and an 80mm wheelbase stretch to help combat the also enlarged BMW 3 Series and Lexus IS rivals. Drivetrain availability from launch will include the 115kW/250Nm 1.6-litre C180 and 135kW/300Nm 2.0-litre C200 petrols, and the 125kW/400Nm 2.1-litre turbodiesel C220. A smaller diesel, diesel-electric hybrid and more powerful petrol engines will come later. (Approximately from $60,000)Tesla Model S: The long-awaited Tesla Model S pure-electric passenger car is due to arrive locally in the second quarter, with the five door hatch balancing style, performance, and all-electric tech in equal measures. (Approximately $80,000)Volvo S60 and V60: Volvo will introduce the first of its new Drive-E engines to the S60 sedan and V60 wagon range in March, with power and efficiency gains promised, along with a new eight-speed auto. (Approximately $49,000-$78,000)LUXURY CARSLexus RC: Lexus’ new RC coupe should arrive before the end of 2014 to take on the BMW 4 Series and Audi A5, with a choice of petrol V6 and hybrid drivetrains likely to expand to include a high-performance 5.0-litre V8 RC-F soon after. (Approximately $70,000-$130,000)SUV/4WDAudi RS Q3: The company’s first RS-badged SUV will arrive in February, with the RS Q3 borrowing its 228kW/420Nm five-cylinder heart from the TTRS, and promising 0-100km/h in 5.5 seconds. (Approximately $81,900)BMW X1: The baby bimmer SUV is also in line for a refreshing in March, with styling and interior tweaks expected. (Approximately 46,000-63,000)BMW X5 sDrive 25d: BMW will add the first two-wheel drive X5 to the new 2014 lineup early in the year, with a price-leading $82,900 2.0-litre turbodiesel sDrive 25d undercutting the existing all-wheel drive xDrive 25d by $5000. (Approximately $82,900)Ford Territory: The Territory SUV will score SYNC-inclusive revisions by the end of the year, ahead of its 2016 fate. (Approximately $40,000-$63,000)Land Rover Range Rover Evoque: The stylish Range Rover Evoque is due for an update before June, with a new nine-speed auto delivering fuel economy gains of about 10 per cent, plus styling tweaks to bring it in line with the new full-size Range Rover and Sport models. (Approximately $50,000-$91,000)Porsche Macan: Porsche will add the new sub-Cayenne Macan SUV to its Australian lineup from June, with the cheapest diesel model forming a new entry point to Porsche ownership at $84,900. Twin-turbo 3.0 and 3.6-litre V6s will sit further up the price scale, with the 294kW top-spec capable of 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds. (Approximately $84,900-$122,900)Volvo XC60: Volvo’s new Drive-E engines will also appear in the XC60 SUV in March, with power and efficiency gains promised, along with a new eight-speed auto. (Approximately $57,000-79,000)SPORTS/PERFORMANCEAlfa Romeo 4C: Alfa will bring a limited number of its limited-build 4C sports car to Australia in around June, with the mid-engined, carbon-chassised performance hero expected to lob for as little as $75,000.Peugeot RCZ-R: Building on the brand’s reignited performance cred thanks to the excellent 208 GTi, the French brand will also add the hot RCZ-R to the lineup in the second quarter, with a highly tuned 199kW version of the existing petrol version’s 1.6-litre turbo. (Approximately $70,000)CONVERTIBLESBMW 4 Series convertible: The folding hardtop version of BMW’s 4-Series coupe is expected by March, and echo its hardtop sibling with 420d, 428i, and 435i drivetrains. (Approximately $85,000-$120,000)  

Infiniti will unwrap the Q50 Eau Rouge at Detroit motor show, but in the lead-up are trickling out images and details of the F1-inspired car -- based on the production Q50 mid-size sedan that will arrive here early this year -- but with only the roof and door profiles remaining from the donor in Eau Rouge form.The designers tapped the Red Bull racing team for the Eau Rouge, which is bristling with carbon fibre panels on a resultantly lighter body, widened and slung lower on massive -- but also light -- 21-inch wheels.The track-bred wardrobe influences include a carbon-fibre front splitter, side skirts, mirror caps and rear diffuser and spoiler, with Infiniti executive design director Alfonso Albaisa saying the focus was on aerodynamics and performance.“From our shared passion for performance with Infiniti Red Bull Racing grew a collective desire to produce a vision of what a high-performance Infiniti Q50 could look like,” Albaisa says in the press statement.“The design has a number of distinctive Formula One inspired touches.  In particular, the sculpted front wing assembly and the rear aerodynamic packaging take their cues from the RB9 race car."Infiniti hasn't yet given any details of what's under the bonnet -- and what sort of figures it could clock up -- but we're expecting at the very least a revised version of one of the Q50's mills with some extra power and torque squeezed out.With the Eau Rouge's performance focus, that's likely to be the hybrid system from the Q50 S flagship -- with some extra output above its 268kW/546Nm combined from a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine and an electic motor -- rather than the 157kW/320Nm 2.0-litre petrol four, 245kW/365Nm 3.7-litre V6 or 125kW/400Nm 2.2-litre turbodiesel.Infiniti is also making a strong social media play with the Eau Rouge, and we'll get to see more or less of the car depending on the amount of likes, tweets, shares and other responses, which will start forming an image of the car in a 'virtual garage'. The more responses, the more quickly the car will build and the more we'll see -- presumably circumventing the customary leaking of images.

The once non-existent world of luxury four door coupes looks set to add yet another new entry, with Infiniti reportedly working on a new range-topping model to launch into a field already heavily populated by prestige brands.  Speaking with industry journal Automotive News, Nissan's future product boss Andy Palmer confirmed that the brand is planning a new flagship model, which won’t be a conventional large luxury sedan like the previous Q45 models.  "We won't do a Merc S class or that type of car," Palmer said. "We have had that before. We want a flagship car that's appealing and different." Sources suggest the model will build on the sleek profile of the 2009 Essence concept, with rear doors added to create a model akin to the Porsche Panamera. The model would likely be based on a Mercedes Benz platform as part of Infiniti’s technology tie-up with the German brand, and sit above Infiniti’s range of luxury sedan, coupe, and SUV models. Palmer confirmed that the model is yet to be signed off however. "The sales of (sedans) like the Q50 and SUVs like the QX60 will have to be going well and then I can go to our approval committee." As such, the new model is not likely to appear before 2017, but could become an ideal hero for Infiniti’s plan to become a major global player in the luxury market before 2020. This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn    

In the world of slow-starters, Infiniti has been the standard bearer.

Infiniti is working on a new hatch to take on rivals in the burgeoning compact luxury segment, such as the Audi A3, BMW 1-Series, Lexus CT 200h and new Mercedes-Benz CLA.We were given our first taste of the car with the unveiling of the slightly odd Etherea back in 2011, but now we have a more definitive look thanks to reveal of the new Q30 concept car.Though its shape resembles that of a hatch, Infiniti is keen to stress that the Q30 is not a hatch. Rather, it’s a fusion of various bodystyles that includes elements of not only a hatch but also a coupe and a crossover, the automaker tells us.By combining the sportiness of a coupe, the roominess of a hatch and the higher stance of a crossover, Infiniti is hoping its Q30 will be able to stand out from the crowd.To further differentiate its Q30 from rival compact offerings, Infiniti will call on its official director of performance, reigning Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel, to help develop the chassis.However, much of the development work is already done, as the Q30 shares the MFA front-wheel-drive platform found in Mercedes-Benz’s latest compact range.Inside the Q30, there’s a sporty flat-bottomed steering wheel, bright digital gauges with purple backlighting, copper-accented dials including a centre console-mounted control wheel, accented stitching and soft leather on most of the surfaces.The Q30 makes its world debut tomorrow at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show and will spawn a production version due for launch sometime in 2015. Production will take place initially at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the U.K. but will eventually be expanded to Mexico for delivery to the North American market. Shortly after the Q30 is launched, we may see a crossover version, which is likely to be called a QX30 in accordance with Infiniti’s new naming strategy.www.motorauthority.com 

The Infiniti Q50 will launch in January with expected V6 petrol hybrid and 2.1-litre turbodiesel engines as Infiniti looks to step up its attack on the Australian prestige market. Infiniti general manager Kevin Snell won’t officially comment on the Q50 drivetrains but the UK arm of Nissan’s premium arm has already gone on sale with the above engines. Internet rumours suggest a four-cylinder turbo petrol is also well advanced. The hybrid is an in-house design that’s used in the line-up already on sale in Australia. The turbodiesel is sourced from Mercedes-Benz and cranks out 125kW/400Nm in UK guise. Infiniti has just cut prices on its existing models by an average of $10,000, reflecting modest sales and the fact the Australian outfit was forced to launch with models in the middle of their life-cycle Snell says existing Infiniti owners -- and there are 200 year-to-date -- will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis to ensure they’re not disadvantaged by the price cut. “When we launched the brand we aimed to build identity and deliver a customer experience that no other prestige carmaker could offer,” Snell says. “That customer experience extends to the price adjustments. Our dealers have a unique relationship with their clients and we will deal with them accordingly. We intentionally started small (with just three dealers -- in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne) and now we’re stepping up to phase two.  That starts with the Q50, which will be on sale in January and will roll out from there. Part of that strategy is the appointment of a new national sales manager in Andrei Zaitzev. “We’ve had a long-burn program - the business plan rolls out until 2020 - and there are now a significant number of new models in the pipeline that let us open the next wave of dealerships and progressively expand the models,” Snell says. “We’ll leverage the four-cylinder turbo powertrains - they’re the future - and our relationship with Red Bull Racing in F1 to continue building brand identity.” Snell affirms the signing of Daniel Ricciardo to Red Bull will help the Australian arm by giving it a high-profile local ambassador to reinforce Infiniti’s performance credentials.  

Infiniti is working on a new hatch to take on rivals in the burgeoning compact luxury segment, such as the Audi A3, BMW 1-Series, Lexus CT 200h and new Mercedes-Benz CLA. We were given our first taste of the car with the unveiling of the slightly odd Etherea back in 2011, but now we have a more definitive look thanks to reveal of the new Q30 concept car.Though its shape resembles that of a hatch, Infiniti is keen to stress that the Q30 is not a hatch. Rather, it’s a fusion of various body styles that includes elements of not only a hatch but also a coupe and a crossover, the automaker tells us. By combining the sportiness of a coupe, the roominess of a hatch and the higher stance of a crossover, Infiniti is hoping its Q30 will be able to stand out from the crowd.To further differentiate its Q30 from rival compact offerings, Infiniti will call on its official director of performance, reigning Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel, to help develop the chassis. However, much of the development work is already done, as the Q30 shares the MFA front-wheel-drive platform found in Mercedes-Benz’s compact range.The Q30 makes its world debut on September 10 at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show and will spawn a production version due for launch sometime in 2015. Production will take place initially at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the U.K. but will eventually be expanded to Mexico for delivery to the North American market. Shortly after the Q30 is launched, we may see a crossover version, which is likely to be called a QX30 in accordance with Infiniti’s new naming strategy.www.motorauthority.com 

We’ve seen what Red Bull F1 racer Sebastien Vettel can do on the track, and we’ll soon see what he can do in the design studio when Infiniti unveils the Q30 Concept at Frankfurt motor show in September.The next development of Infiniti’s Etherea concept, the Q30 Concept will lead to a compact car that will be the first model influenced from the start by Vettel in his new role as Infiniti’s Director of Performance.The vehicle will face off in the premium compact segment against the likes of the BMW 1-Series, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Audi A3. However, Infiniti has already indicated that the Q30 would feature a new three-way adjustable ride height system, suggesting that we could see it in crossover form or spawning a separate crossover version.That possibility is reinforced by it being based on the platform underpinning the Mercedes-Benz CLA Class -- which will have its own crossover version in the form of the GLA Class.That would be positioned as a rival against the GLA, BMW X1 and Q3, among others in the premium end of the growing crossover field. Infiniti for now says only that the Q30 Concept “signals the contemporary design vision for a compact Infiniti vehicle which will target a new generation of premium customers” and will spearhead the brand’s growth plan.“This Infiniti Q30 Concept is a prelude to the product portfolio expansion which underpins our aggressive global growth strategy,” Infiniti global president Johan de Nysschen said in the press statement.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Infiniti? They're made by Nissan aren't they? It's the first thing people ask when see the car. The answer is yes, they are the Nissan equivalent of Toyota's Lexus luxury brand. They've been doing business for many years now, but have only just started selling cars here in Australia (after years talking about it).VALUEPriced from $85,900, $97,900 for the better equipped S Premium, the M is one of Infiniti's core models. It's a large rear-wheel drive luxury sedan that comes in petrol, diesel and hybrid petrol-electric versions.Standard kit includes leather and climate air, auto lights and wipers, active cruise control, power adjust steering, bi-xenon lights that turn, Bluetooth with audio streaming, satellite navigation and a 6-speaker premium sound system.The S Premium package adds 4-wheel Active Steer (4WAS), sport-tuned suspension, sport brakes and larger, 20-inch alloy wheels, not to mention a hi-end Bose audio system.TECHNOLOGYThe 3.7 litre produces 235kW of power and 360Nm of torque. The engine is hooked up to a seven-speed auto that adapts to the driver's style of driving, as well as including a manual mode with shift paddles. Drive is to the rear wheels and it does the dash from 0-100km/h in 6.2 seconds with a top speed of 250km/h.Fuel consumption is rated at 10.2 litres/100km and it takes Premium unleaded (we were getting 11.2). DESIGN Infiniti bills itself as luxury brand but with an emphasis on performance, that is as a driver's car. The car goes well enough but lacks the opulent feel of other luxury brands, even though the expected leather and wood are present. Some may see this as a plus, others may not... By the way the paint is self-healing in case it is scratched.SAFETYGets a full five stars for safety. It's equipped with a number of advanced safety features including Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) and the Premium adds Blind Spot Warning (BSW) and Blind Spot Intervention (BSI).Other available safety features include Intelligent Brake Assist (IBA) with Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Front Pre-Crash Seat Belts.DRIVINGWe drove the hybrid recently and while it was good, the V6 does an admirable job by itself without the support of an electric motor. Mind you, it's the larger 3.7-litre six, not the 3.5. With sport mode selected the drive experience is fairly aggressive.The rear becomes a bit skittish in damp conditions, but the electronics are there to catch it if things get out of hand. Four-mode drive control adjusts throttle and transmission mapping, as well as 4-Wheel Active Steer settings, Dynamic Cornering Enhancement and Eco Pedal (where available).Infiniti makes a big deal about the active noise cancellation system (like they use in headphones), but it doesn't sound any quieter inside to us. The seats are heated and cooled and the `intelligent' key remembers last used audio, navigation and climate settings, as well as linking to seat, steering wheel and side view mirror positions through the dual occupant memory system.VERDICTIt grows on you. The look is understated and we loved the grey, almost white paint job. Feels nothing like a Lexus, but it's nowhere near as quiet inside as a Lexus either.Infiniti M37 S PremiumPrice: from $97,900Engine: 3.7-litre 6-cylinder, 235 kW/ 360 NmTransmission: seven-speed sports automatic transmission, RWDThirst: 10.2 L/100km, 235 g/km CO2

‘Fly by wire’ allows for the replacement of mechanical linkages between the aircrafts flight deck (cockpit in the old language) and the planes control surfaces (such as the rudder and ailerons) with wires that carry the pilot’s commands electronically. Now that same principle is being used by Infiniti to link the steering wheel and the front wheels of their new Q50 model. The ‘Steer by wire’ system, called ‘Direct Adaptive Steering’, works by electronically transferring the driver's input to the front wheels where a high-response actuator drives the steering rack. Infiniti says by eliminating the mechanical losses that can dull the responses in conventional systems, steering response is faster and vibration at the steering wheel is eliminated. Drivers can even tailor steering weight and response settings to their own liking. Infiniti has reassured buyers that the technology does benefit from several back-up systems, including a conventional mechanical steering linkage, should something go wrong. But the Japanese brand believes the system is safe and has carried out extensive on-road testing to prove it. They even allowed Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel (Infiniti's Director of Performance) to put it to the test on Infiniti’s testing track. The Q50 is likely to start arriving here around November, with a starting price below $60,000. It is powered by a range of engines from a turbocharged four provided by Daimler, and will sidestep its German rivals with a solid emphasis on driving enjoyment. The official introduction of the Q50 comes as Infiniti confirms plans for a major model expansion at both the top and bottom ends of luxury motoring, with a Q70 flagship and a baby model to compete with the Benz A-Class. “The Q50 is coming, absolutely. It's here in quarter four,” Infiniti Cars Australia's spokesman, Peter Fadeyev, told Carsguide in May. “It will be our fifth model. And it will be our largest selling model. This will be competing in the most important sector of the Australian luxury car market.” He refuses to even hint on the price points or engines for the Q50 but we're likely to see a range of engines from turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel motors through a 3.7-litre V6 to a hybrid package. Direct Adaptive Steering will be offered as standard on the Infiniti Q50 hybrid later in the year (a model we don’t get in Australia). It’s exciting technology (so long as those back-up systems are reliable) that we will most likely see across many more models in coming years. Joel Helmes is the editor of the Behind the Wheel radio program, heard on more than 150 stations around Australia, and www.behindthewheel.com.au