The new Infiniti Q30 will be launched in the next two years and sit in a niche that brand boss Andy Palmer describes as being “between the Audi A3 and Audi Q3”. It is believed that this will be made possible by a new three-way adjustable ride height system.
The car was previewed by the Etherea concept at the Geneva motor show in 2011 and was described at the time by its maker as a four-door coupé. Infiniti’s willingness to cross established car segments follows the example of parent company Nissan, which has enjoyed sales success with the Qashqai and Juke crossovers.
However, Palmer said the Infiniti was “not a copy of the Nissan Qashqai, but a car that can span established brackets within the market”. He added that Infiniti will strive to differentiate itself from the established premium brands using styling. “Infinitis should be more evocative than the establishment,” he said.
Palmer added that there are no plans to create a new flagship saloon larger than the current M, a BMW 5-series rival. “The 7-series market is declining, so we’re more likely to follow the trend to smaller vehicles,” he said. “Before we can do that, however, we have to build our brand cachet in other areas.”
