Infiniti’s Q Inspiration Concept dazzles
DETROIT, MICH.— When they drove the Infiniti Q Inspiration Concept onto the stage at the Detroit Auto Show on Monday, I turned to a guy next to me and said it was one of the most beautiful cars I’d ever seen.
“Why don’t they put it into production now, as is, and then into showrooms,” I continued. “They could sell thousands.”
But that’s not why auto companies design and build concepts. They do them to push the envelope. In fact, Christian Meunier, Infiniti’s vicepresident of global sales, said as much.
“The premium sedan segment has become rather conservative,” Meu- nier said. “So, the Infiniti Q Inspiration previews something that could appeal to a younger audience who seek modern design and new technologies to both inspire and empower them.”
The four-door Q Inspiration, which is low, long, flowing and has clear and concise lines, is powered by Infiniti’s new VC-Turbo technology (VC = Variable Compression) that features a powertrain combining turbocharged gasoline power with the torque and efficiency of a hybrid or Diesel engine. In short, it has the power of a six-cylinder engine and the efficiency of a fourcylinder.
Meunier, who has talked about this engine previously, says it represents a technological breakthrough that will bridge the engines of today with the rapidly advancing electrification of tomorrow.
“Electrification is happening faster than was imagined,” he told the Star in an interview, “but there are still going to be millions of internalcombustion engines in the world. The VC-Turbo will play a big role in the transition.”
The concept has classical sedan styling with a coupelike appearance — the rear doors open in reverse, thus exposing the whole interior — that suggests a future direction for vehicles in this segment.
The interior looks spacious and that’s primarily because — according to Alfonso Albaisa, senior-vice president for global design for Nissan and Infiniti — the smaller VCTurbo engine gave designers more room.
The Inspiration is equipped with Infiniti’s new Pro-Pilot semi- autonomous driver-aid system, which acts — the company says — as a co-pilot. While the driver is always in control and able to change course in an instant, the Pro-Pilot system can do things such as keep the car in the centre of the lane it’s in, and regulate the distance between it and the vehicle ahead. ncmdonald@thestar.ca