INFINITI Q60 RED SPORT
The premise here is more hi-po coupe grunt and fruit for less, but does the Infiniti Q60 have the talent to take on Germany? The $88,900 Red Sport version starts by undercutting the BMW 440i by $11K, and you get keyless entry/start, sunroof, around-view monitor, collision warning and AEB, adaptive suspension and an extra 58kw. 17/20
It’s easy to get comfy thanks to sumptuous seats and a powered steering column. Dash/console design brings a cocooning feel with high-quality materials and finish. Unique dual-screen layout with nav up top and infotainment functions on a higher res screen below. Some generic-looking switchgear lets the overall image down. 15/20 The six-pack pair align with 3.0-litre cubic capacities and forced induction, but Infiniti’s VR30DDTT engine has its pistons in a vee with twinned turbos. There’s 298kw and 475Nm on offer, 58kw/25nm more than the BMW. The Q60 is addictively thrusty and good at laying its power down via its seven-speed automatic and rear-drive. 14/20
Having 19-inch tyres isn’t necessarily the bane of ride quality, but the Infiniti’s are run-flats and, despite the ability to relax the adaptive dampers via a comfort mode, the Q60 and a bumpy road never really get on. It’s busy on both patchy urban tarmac and coarse-chip country roads, where the Infiniti is noisier than its rival. 13/20
Common electric steering critiques of being ‘disconnected’ and having ‘no feel’ are more apt of the Q60’s by-wire steering. By design it lets nothing from the road make its way to your hands and although Infiniti has tried to synthesise the sensation, the result doesn’t feel natural. It’s the link missing from the well-balanced Q60 chassis. 12/20