Infiniti QX30 full road test | Car reviews 2017

What is it: The Infiniti QX30 is the premium brand’s entry into the booming crossover market. Key features: Sharp looks, standard all-wheel-drive, plenty of equipment. Our view: The Infiniti QX30 has its flaws but overall is a viable premium crossover for those looking for something different to the masses. Review type: Full road test Anyone who follows the motor industry knows that these days virtually no manufacturer can do without an SUV or crossover model. Even the premium market is no longer immune from such things, and so we now have the Infiniti QX30. Read more Infiniti news, reviews and features at The Car Expert That Nissan’s luxury brand should go the crossover route is no surprise – while a major player in the US, Infiniti is still having to work hard to establish itself in Europe, and with direct rival Audi’s Q3 totally outstripping its sales predictions, there is clear evidence that upmarket buyers are as crossover hungry as the mainstream. Next page: Styling and interior Exterior design. The Infiniti QX30 is effectively a crossover version of the Q30 hatch and one point that perhaps many potential buyers don’t realise is that both cars are built in the UK, at Nissan’s gargantuan Sunderland plant. And both, in turn, share quite a lot of their DNA with the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, despite the GLA being a direct rival to the Infiniti. The Q30 hatch is one of the sharpest-looking Infiniti models, and turning it into a crossover works quite well. Dark body cladding along with the regulation front and rear skid plates produces a car with a sleek and purposeful profile compared to its rivals, even with a ride height raised by 30mm over the hatch. Interior design. Inside the surroundings are, perhaps not quite as daring as the exterior, but still well thought out, lots of lines flowing together effectively and a solid effort made to produce a premium feel. To what level depends on which of the two trim levels one chooses, but can include the full recipe of soft-touch surfaces, wood and stitching. Generally well-placed switchgear, meanwhile may in fact look familiar, especially if one has tried a Mercedes A-Class… Less impressive is the infotainment system – both touchscreen and dial controlled, it’s not very user-friendly, with lots of routines to work through. Read more Infiniti news, reviews and features at The Car Expert One drawback of the QX30’s sleek looks is in interior space – matters are quite cosy in the rear, especially above one’s head. The 430-litre boot space is also significantly less than offered in the Mercedes GLA – though 10 litres more than Audi’s Q3. Next page: Powertrain and drive experience Powertrain. Infiniti offers buyers of the QX30 a simple powertrain choice – there is only one. It’s a diesel, of 2.2 litres, and it is also another element of the car built by Mercedes-Benz. Power is 170hp, curiously seven horses less than the same unit in the GLA, but 20 more than the 2-litre diesel option in the Audi. The 350Nm of torque comes in at a low 1400rpm, and is put through a seven-speed sequential gearbox that is not that swift in its changes, and a standard-fit all-wheel-drive transmission. Fuel economy and CO2 emissions are competitive, at 57.6mpg and 128g/km. On the road. The combination of transmission, AWD and not the lightest weight around results in the QX30 feeling purposeful rather than that swift, and the 8.5-second 0-62mph time reflects this. But a body shape that is more akin to the wedge of a hatchback than the box of an SUV helps it stay upright in corners and makes for confident progress. Behind the wheel the impression is slightly surreal but not uncomfortable. One can feel the jacked-up driving position, but the car still handles like – a car, feeling very assured. The only minus is the fault of the narrow glasshouse, which makes for less than perfect visibility behind and over the shoulder, such as when exiting awkwardly-shaped junctions. Next page: Equipment, summary and specifications Equipment. The Infiniti QX30 comes with an impressive equipment level, even on the lesser of the two trim levels, Premium. Notable on the list are LED daytime running lights, cruise control, parking sensors, and the touchscreen infotainment system with DAB radio and satellite navigation on a seven-inch screen. The Premium Tech model costs £33,370 – upgrades include adaptive LED headlamps and keyless entry, while the parking sensors evolve into the useful around-view monitor camera system with sensors both front and rear. The inside gains wood trim, leather upholstery on the now memory-powered seats and aluminium kickplates. A creditable safety package includes Lane Departure Warning, forward collision warning and stop, and seven airbags. Read more Infiniti news, reviews and features at The Car Expert Summary. Infiniti does not officially say how many QX30 models it expects to sell in the UK, only that this and its Q30 hatch sister will be a prime element in efforts to double the brand’s UK sales year on year. So far the recipe appears to be working, the brand’s 2,891 registrations in 2016 comparing to the 1,195 of a year earlier, and much of this growth can be put down to the new models. The QX30 has its flaws, with perhaps the greatest being the lack of rear-seat space. But it is also possibly the most practical Infiniti yet. Particularly in the fleet market, which the brand will expect to account for more than half of QX30 sales, it will offer a tempting alternative to the hordes of highly similar crossovers out there. Read more Infiniti news, reviews and features at The Car Expert Infiniti QX30 – key specifications. Test Date: January 2017. Price: From £29,650. Insurance group: 23A. Engine: Diesel, 2.2-litre four-cylinder inline. Power (hp):170 @ 3,400rpm. Torque (Nm): 350 @ 1,400rpm. 0-62mph (sec):8.5. Top speed (mph): 134. Fuel economy (combined, mpg): 57.6. CO2 emissions (g/km): 128. Key rivals: Mercedes-Benz GLA, Audi Q3, BMW X1