With the Frankfurt Motor show just around the corner, several motor brands are preparing to show off their latest cars at the event. Infiniti has jumped the gun and released images of their new hatchback, the Q30. Spy shots of the hatchback and its big brother the QX30 have been snapped testing and driving around the European countryside, which means it’s only a matter of time before we see them hit showroom floors.
Originally shown off as a concept two years ago, Infiniti has said only 10% of what was originally show off has been changed with the rest being kept and continuing to the final road going version. From the latest pictures, we can see the ride height sits level peg with other hatchbacks and most notably the difference is at the front, the lower air intake below the grille seems to have been tightened up.
A joint effort between Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti lead to the creation of the Q30, as it will share the same platform as Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchbacks. The QX30 is possibly based on the GLA250 and essentially is a Q30 with more ground clearance and underbody protection.
Infiniti’s Q30 sits lower down in the Infiniti hierarchy than the Q50 sedan, thus taking the entry level position whereas the QX30 will be the new entry-level SUV. With the new additions to the line-up, Nissan’s luxury brand is targeting younger buyers. Infiniti has said that the Q30 is no ordinary hatchback but a mix of all sorts of body styles such as coupes, crossovers and hatchbacks to make stand out from all the other ‘regular’ hatchbacks out there.
The Q30 will ride on a front wheel drivetrain with power coming from Mercedes-Benz’s turbocharged 2.0-litre 4 cylinder petrol engine mounted in the front mated with a seven-speed automatic gearbox, with an option to upgrade to an all-wheel drivetrain. No engine specs have been revealed for the QX30, it’s likely to have the same engine and comes standard with all-wheel drive. As the engine is sourced from Mercedes A-class’s it plausible the engine is rated at 220 to 250 horsepower.
Obviously the Q30 will still make an appearance in the flesh in Germany, where more information will be revealed about the Q30 and QX30 such as specifications, optional extras and trim levels.
Both vehicles are being built at Nissan’s United Kingdom factory located in Sunderland, the company is looking to sell 60,000 units of both vehicles in the first year, 30,000 of those are expected to come from Europe as premium compact cars are dominated by the big three German manufacturers . Rivals on the road include Audi’s A3, BMW’s 1 series and the Mercedes A 250.
These two are just a small sample of what’s to come in the near future from Infiniti as a number of new models have been hinted at including the Q20 and the gorgeous Q80.
Infiniti Q30 and QX30 are set to go on sale in the third or fourth quarter of next year (2016) and will be sold as a 2017 model. While we wait for them to arrive why not check out our listings for new Infiniti and used Infiniti for sale in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
