[LongGhosn]

http://www.autonews.com/article/20150914/COPY01/309149886/1172

FRANKFURT -- Infiniti will add a version of its Q30 hatchback with a raised height in a bid to attract some of the increasing numbers of buyers choosing cars with SUV styling.

The Q30 will have two variants called the SE and Premium that are 59 inches tall, nearly an inch taller than the Sport version, Infiniti said today at an event here to unveil the brand's first compact car.

"The SE and Premium model are best suited to the varied and often inconsistent road surfaces found in urban environments," the brand said in a statement. The black wheel arch trims highlight the raised height, it added.

The Sport model has about a half inch lower ground clearance that Infiniti claims gives it a firmer ride and tighter, more dynamic body control. It’s differentiated from the taller versions by a remodeled front bumper.

Infiniti hopes to increase its appeal to younger buyers with the Q30 and it has given the Q30 a distinctive, polarizing design to help make it stand out from rivals such as the BMW 1 series and Audi A3.

The Q30 is based on Mercedes-Benz’s MFA front-wheel architecture that also underpins Mercedes’s compact cars including the GLA SUV and A class hatchback.

Infiniti confirmed that the Q30 will offer three Mercedes engines: a 1.6-liter gasoline with either 122hp or 156hp; a 211hp 2.0-liter gasoline; and a 211hp, 2.2-liter diesel. The 2.2-liter diesel version is available with all-wheel-drive. A smaller 109hp 1.5-liter diesel is supplied by Renault. Transmission choices are a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

The Q30's bold design is an attempt to differentiate the car from larger Infiniti models, the company said. “The Q30 is not the little brother or sister to siblings from larger segments,” Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti's head of design, said in the statement.

Albaisa said the car’s sculptural surfaces made it look like the sheet metal is “stretched over bone and muscle.”

Infiniti European head Francois Goupil De Bouille has previously criticized compact cars from German premium rivals for being too conservative in their looks.

The Q30's cabin has a significant amount of switchgear from the Mercedes A class including the heating and electric window controls while maintaining an individual look.

Infiniti said the car represents a step forward in cabin quietness compared to rivals. Its technology includes an active noise cancelling function that emits sound waves from the speakers in a bid to eradicate booming from the 2.2-liter diesel model. Sportier variants will offer a feature that Infiniti says smooths out variations in engine tone to give a more appealing sound.

Next year Infiniti will add a SUV/crossover version called the QX30.

Infiniti will build the Q30 and QX30 in Sunderland, England. The brand may add production for North America at Nissan-Daimler's new compact car factory that opens in Mexico in 2017, reports have said.

Nissan has installed annual production capacity of 60,000 units at its Sunderland plant for the Q30 and QX30. Half of the production will go to Europe with the rest exported to global markets including the U.S. and China. Infiniti is not expected to offer diesel versions in the U.S. and China.

The Q30 will go on sale in Europe toward the end of the year and will arrive in U.S. showrooms next spring with the QX30 crossover version due in the second half of 2016.

The Q30 and QX30 project expands the partnership between the Nissan-Renault alliance and Mercedes parent Daimler, which began in 2010 and now covers 13 joint projects.

 

[infinite]

I think it's a smart move since now you take away that whole issue of ride height, getting them one step closer to considering a Q30.

But of course as good as that sounds we'll have to see how it does in sales, that will be the real test.

 

[Mona]

I thought the QX30 was going to be the taller crossoverish one? I don't see why NA in particular needs both the Q30 and QX30...

 

[alcatraz]

I've always been confused with this. I will evaluate both and decide which one is best for me, but that in itself makes me fell like they are just competing against themselves. maybe they are onto something, who knows?

 

[infinite]

I've always been confused with this. I will evaluate both and decide which one is best for me, but that in itself makes me fell like they are just competing against themselves. maybe they are onto something, who knows?

Best way to look at it is the QX30 as a true SUV, much like the GLA. Then the Q30 as a hatch, but one that has SUV characteristics.

 

[alcatraz]

But the GLA basically looks like a hatch. It feels like one of those picture games where you have to spot the 10 differences.

 

[infinite]

But the GLA basically looks like a hatch. It feels like one of those picture games where you have to spot the 10 differences.

It's a CUV that takes on hatch cues with it's sporty styling but still a CUV/SUV.

Might be a good or bad thing for some people.

 

[Tsunamarama]

Does the classification really matter to you? At the end of the day it's all words. I just care if I like the vehicle or not.

Are you guys set on the Q30 or would you also consider the QX30 since they are very similar?

 

[infinite]

Does the classification really matter to you? At the end of the day it's all words. I just care if I like the vehicle or not.

Are you guys set on the Q30 or would you also consider the QX30 since they are very similar?

It really doesn't but that is what it's classified as. And focusing on what it does for you is indeed what really matters.


I'd have to see both in person to figure that out, my needs are minimal so as far as needs go the Q30 will fulfill that, but wants could push me to the QX30.

 

[alcatraz]

I imagine that the QX30 has no more cargo space, so I think I'll just go with the Q30. Whatever you call them, I wonder about cannibalization considering most people are going to look into both vehicles which makes me feel as though they are competing with themselves.

 

[infinite]

QX30 should have more considering where it sits among the segments and how the Q30 compares to it.

 

[alcatraz]

QX30 should have more considering where it sits among the segments and how the Q30 compares to it.

I think that there are limits since they are both based on the same platform. How can it be that different when it is built on the same platform. Even if it could be more different, they certainly haven't gone that route.

 

[Indiana Jones]

It is supposed to be a sportier version so I can see it having a few upgrades in terms of interior trim and I think it gets a 4 cylinder engine.

 

[infinite]

I think that there are limits since they are both based on the same platform. How can it be that different when it is built on the same platform. Even if it could be more different, they certainly haven't gone that route.

It's all about the cabin and the components underneath that make it different.

 

[Indiana Jones]

I actually prefer the QX30 so I will have to wait until the second half of 2016 before I can see it on showroom floors. Mostly for the additional ground clearance.

 

[infinite]

I actually prefer the QX30 so I will have to wait until the second half of 2016 before I can see it on showroom floors. Mostly for the additional ground clearance.

At least you should have the chance to see it at some local show all in production form, meaning you can see it as you would a vehicle in the dealership.

 

[Indiana Jones]

i'll wait until I can test drive both the Q30 and the QX30 to feel the difference.

 

[infinite]

I doubt there's much to feel in driving them, but one thing for sure is with the QX30 being bigger and heavier, you will feel that bulkiness in the turns, but folks aren't buying these to carve out turns. What's more important IMO is seeing how well it complements you needs aside from feel.