It’s on show this week at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show where Infiniti is also presenting the new QX30 plus an updated version of its QX60. At the lower end of the range will be a 155kW/350Nm 2.0 litre turbo inline four, with two twin-turbo 3.0 litre V6s offering either 224kW/400Nm, or a sizable 298kW/475Nm.
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Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misstated the model year of the redesigned Q60 sport coupe. Yes, this powerplant is very close to the turbo four you get in the Mercedes C-Class Coupe – the Q60 benefits from the partnership between Nissan-Renault and Daimler.
Like the Q50, the Q60 will be powered by a trio of turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The engine, the company said, is set to be sold in two power ratings: 300 horsepower or 400 horsepower, with Infiniti boasting that it has one of the best power-to-efficiency ratios in the sports coupe class.
The base-model Q60 has standard aluminum trim and an available black wood trim, while Sport and Premium grades get carbon-fiber “highlights”. Carrying the torch of previous Infiniti luxury coupes, the G35 and G37, the Q60 will be Infiniti’s halo vehicle, for now. Front fender vents that route air out of the engine bay also help the Q60 achieve a 0.28 coefficient of drag. This engine is expected to deliver 22 mpg on the highway, Infiniti says.
These engines run through a seven-speed automatic transmission with Adaptive Shift control for a responsive gear selection in various conditions. All-wheel drive will still be available, too. To counter this, Infiniti’s Rack Electronic Power Steering precisely increases the steering effort required as the vehicle’s yaw rate changes, before adjusting to provide more assistance when the wheel returns towards on-center. The Drive Mode Selector enables the driver to choose firmer set-ups for dynamic driving. DAS offers six driver-selectable steering modes in the ’17 Q60: Customize, Standard, Snow, Eco, Sport and, on select models, Sport+.
Advanced sound insulation and noise cancellation is also promised – although engine noise will still have access to the cabin – and there’s also a new 13-speaker Bose audio system for those less interested in the engine’s song. This is an electric-assisted power steering system created to work with the DAS steer-by-wire system.
The InTuition multimedia system is standard, which includes an adjustment screen for just about every interior setting one can imagine.
Visually, the Q60 is both athletic and unmistakably posh at the same time, and according to Infiniti Executive Design Director Alfonso Albaisa, “The design carries an elegance that contrasts and gives tonality to its powerful character, expressed through flexed muscles and tension suggested in the sculpture”.
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Active and passive safety technologies include Lane Departure Prevention, Backup Collision Intervention, Blind Spot Intervention, Intelligent Cruise Control with Distance Control Assist, Forward Emergency Braking with pedestrian detection and Around View Monitor.
