The all-new 2017 Infiniti QX30 is about to be released to the public, and TFLcar’s Roman Mica was there at the first press drive.
Roman spoke with Mark Snyder, deputy chief engineer at Infiniti, about the styling and performance of the latest crossover from Nissan’s luxury division.
Although the QX30 is all new, it shares much of its DNA with the Mercedes-Benz GLA250. It rides on the same chassis, has the same powertrain, and shares a lot of the interior bits with its German counterpart.
Infiniti styling elements set it apart form the GLA, but the GLA is still visible in the shape and proportions. Both cars, unsurprisingly, have the same wheelbase, but differences in exterior and interior styling gives the QX30 two more cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, which is a good thing as the GLA is pretty space-challenged back there.
Inside, some of the switchgear is identical or nearly identical to the GLA, but Infiniti designers styled the dash to have more of the swooping, curvaceous lines of other Infiniti models. The GLA’s iPod-stuck-on-the-dash touchscreen has been replaced with an integrated screen set deep in the dash. The GLA’s rotary controller carries over, but it has a new name, Infiniti Controller. Either way, the GLA’s controller is much more intuitive than the ones in higher-end Benzes and a lot more on par with those in Mazda products, so the GX30’s system should have the same level of intuitiveness.
Same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as the GLA. It makes 208 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque from 1,200 to 4,000 rpm. Infiniti says that the throttle was tuned by Infiniti engineers, so it may feel different from the GLA, or it may not. Power goes to either the front wheels or all the wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, just like the GLA.
On thing the GX30 has that’s better than the GLA is the price. Pricing is embargoed for now, but the QX30 does undercut the GLA in both front- and all-wheel-drive trims. The QX30 comes with a lot of standard features, too, so each trim level has a lot to offer.
So is the Infiniti QX30 a worthy contender in the luxury compact crossover segment, or is it just a cheaper GLA? TFLcar will have all the information, including pricing and a driving impression on Sunday night (or is it Monday morning?) at midnight. For now, check out the full TFLnow everything you want to know video above.
