Infiniti Q50

Stepping inside the cabin, the first thing one would notice would be the impressive visibility offered by Infiniti Q50’s interior. The interior in the 2019 Q50 gets a Japanese inspired “Kacchu” aluminum trim and even with the most expensive variant with prices well over the $50,000 mark, the cabin fails to bestow a luxurious feel about itself. Even though the front seats get impressive legroom the same cannot be said for the passengers in the back.

Speaking of the rear, a folding rear seat is only offered as an optional extra and with 13 cubic feet of trunk space, the Infiniti Q50 e cannot measure up in this aspect to the likes of the Kia Stinger liftback or even the BMW 3-Series sedan. Then there is the unintuitive infotainment system which is offered in a dual-screen format. The screens are placed one above another and in the middle of the dashboard. The display duties are carried out by the top screen whereas the intuitive touch controls are located on the bottom screen. A Bose audio system is also on offer as an optional extra but unlike other offerings in the segment, features like Apple CarPlay or for that matter Android Auto are not available on any of the variants.

The Infiniti Q50 is based on Nissan's FM platform and is built out of lightweight aluminum and high strength steel. The design language incorporates extensive use of curved surfaces which can make for a love-or-hate experience for the potential buyer. As Infiniti Q50’s has to rival German sedans, the cars extravagant styling might be Nissan’s attempt at making the Q50 stand out from the competition.

2019 Infiniti Q50 is available in both rear-wheel-drive as well as all-wheel-drive setup. Equipped with all-wheel-drive and either of the V6 powerplants, the 2019 Infiniti Q50 is quite quick on its feet and the transmission shifts are very responsive even when using the flappy paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel. The same cannot be said about the steering which even with Infiniti’s ‘Direct Adaptive Steering’ system lacks feedback.

Ride of the Infiniti Q50 Sport model with the larger 19-inch wheels can be quite harsh but conditions improve in the standard 18-inch wheel variant.

For the 2019 model, the hybrid powertrain was dropped by Infiniti and the Q50 sedan is only offered with the option of a 2-liter 4 cylinder turbocharged unit, a standard 3-liter V6 twin-turbo unit and a 3 liter, top of the line V6 twin-turbo unit which comes equipped with two turbo speed sensors and dual water pump system.

The 2-liter powerplant produces 200 BHP of power and 258 lb-ft of peak torque and the standard V6 unit produces 300 BHP of power and 295 lb-ft of torque. The power output is further bumped up to 400 BHP in the V6 motor which comes equipped with two turbo speed sensors and dual water pumps and this unit also managers to produce an impressive 350 lb-ft of peak torque. All variants come equipped with a 7-speed automatic gearbox which is offered in different configurations depending on the variant.

In terms of standard safety features, Infiniti only offers automated emergency braking and forward-collision warning in the 2019 Q50. Other driver assistance and safety features are offered as optional extras which include rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist. It's also worth noting that BMW 3-Series and Audi A4 performed better against the 2019 Q50's 169-foot stopping distance.

The Infiniti Q50 is not as luxurious as its rivals in the segment. With the features and gadgets failing to measure up to those offered in more premium offerings from its European and American rivals, Infiniti Q50 also fails to make an impression as a premium performance sedan. Subjective as it may be, we feel that the design language offered in the Infiniti Q50 is quite striking but even with a wide range of engine options and a dedicated performance variant, the car does make for a track-oriented premium sedan.