2017 Infiniti QX30 revealed

Making its simultaneous debut at auto shows in Los Angeles and Guangzhou, China, the 2017 Infiniti QX30 will serve as a key product in its global growth initiative. Retaining much of the avant-garde design of the concept revealed in Geneva, Infiniti believes the QX30 will strike a responsive chord with its prime target group: members of Gen X and Gen Y who make up the majority of buyers in the rapidly expanding premium compact crossover segment. Developed in a joint venture with Daimler, the new Infiniti QX30 shares a good deal of its platform and powertrain with the Mercedes-Benz CLA/GLA-Class. However, the tuning is to Infiniti spec while the QX30’s exterior and interior treatments are completely unique. 

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Unconventional styling approach 

Describing the QX30’s expressive exterior as "a category-defying design," Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti Executive Design Director, notes its appearance "challenges current preconceptions of what a crossover should look like." From its highly sculpted double-arch grille to its signature C-pillar treatment the QX30 seeks to distance itself from rivals like the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Lexus NX as well as the M-B GLA-Class. But in addition to making a bold visual statement that reinforces its dynamic personality, the QX30 also incorporates a number of subtle touches like slim A-pillars that afford better visibility for the driver and an elevated ride height that eases access to the passenger compartment.

The cabin of this new Infiniti reflects iconoclastic thinking seen in its exterior, here, too interwoven with practical comfort/convenience touches one would expect to find in a luxury offering. Whether trimmed in premium black cloth or available beige/black Nappa leather, the organically contoured surfaces boast asymmetric proportions that Infiniti says impart an "in-motion" character when viewed in natural light. Efforts in the noise abatement arena promise to make the QX30 exceptionally quiet under all types of driving and a new generation of seats offer wider and softer but more supportive cushion contouring. The QX30 also will be fitted with the latest version of Infiniti’s InTouch infotainment system that boasts a 7.0-inch touchscreen with intuitive touch/swipe controls as well as Infiniti Voice Recognition. 

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Turbo power, intelligent AWD

The Infiniti QX30 will feature a single drivetrain at launch based around a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that makes 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. It will be backed by a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with a manual shift mode that sends power to all four corners via an intelligent all-wheel drive system. Capable of seamlessly transferring up to 50 percent of the available torque to the rear wheels, it also can vector that power to the wheel with the best grip using selective braking. 

Infiniti says its new crossover will offer an array of active/passive safety features as well as an Around View Monitor, Intelligent Cruise Control and Intelligent Parking Assistant. The 2017 Infiniti QX30 arrives in mid-2016 with pricing announced later.