The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With Q60 Coupe, Infiniti tugs at enthusiasts’ heartstrings
This model and its Q50 sedan sibling are quintessential Infiniti.
It’s not surprising that expectations are high for the 2017 Infiniti Q60 Coupe, a model that, despite the public’s decreasing interest in coupes, possesses an allure that has seen its sales increase 21 percent each of the past two years.
In many ways, this model and its Q50 sedan sibling are quintessential Infiniti, featuring rearwheel drive with a performance edge. And even though the sedan far outsells the coupe, the coupe remains an essential image-builder for a brand in need of a stronger image.
“It’s a very emotional and performance-oriented segment,” said Geraldo Carmona, a senior manager of global product strategy at Infiniti. “Therefore, it’s a key segment for Infiniti.”
Because of that, perhaps, Infiniti stylists endowed the sports coupe with three brand-distinguishing design cues: a double-arch grille, human-eye headlights and a crescent-cut C pillar. Benefiting from the brand’s expressive, fluid side sculpting, the Q60’s dynamically muscular look has a surprisingly lean drag coefficient.
As you climb inside, you’ll find an asymmetrical interior that Infiniti designers say was inspired by a tailored driver’s glove.
Marketing pabulum aside, it perfectly matches the exterior, with a sleek look that’s blessedly free of control clutter. That’s possible thanks to an 8-inch upper touchscreen and a 7-inch lower touchscreen on the instrument panel. Better yet, both are straightforward and easy to use.
As is the case in new cars, the screen controls the audio system, which, if you spring for an upgrade, flows through 13 premium Bose speakers. Its sound proves disappointing, however, with a muffled bass and tinny, unimpressive treble.
In the test vehicles, the seats were covered in scrumptiously soft leather that feels indulgent and rich. The seats ideally balance the conflicting demands of supportive bolstering and sumptuous comfort. Cabin trim is accented with glass fiber accents, which have a plastic sheen that lends the interior a suitably dramatic feel.
But the interior’s showy nature sharply contrasts to the car’s cheap plastic trim, which feels as if it came from a Nissan Versa. Other misfires include air vents that are perfectly placed to freeze the driver’s hands. Finally, trunk space and back seat accommodations are what you’d expect: meager.
One thing that isn’t meager: performance.
At the heart of the car is a new engine, an all-new 3-liter twin-turbo that produces 300 or 400 horsepower, depending on model. The new engine weighs 39 pounds less than the one it replaces despite its greater power thanks to such details as a watercooled intercooler, direct injection, and a more compact design.
Base models will use a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at 208 horsepower, although none were available for testing.
The engines are mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shift control, which uses a lateral acceleration sensor to detect changes in the road. This results in a very responsive gearbox that does little hunting between gears in the quest for fuel economy.
Infiniti supplied top-of-theline Red Sport 400 models for sampling.
As you’d expect, hammering the throttle summons up 400 horses, allowing you to experience this engine’s divinely evil intent, which is delivered with a sophisticated confidence as the chassis and all-wheel driveline tackle the tarmac with tenacious grip and negligible body lean in corners. Stability is impressive, especially at faster speeds.
Even more striking is the car’s ride comfort, something that usually suffers when performance is a priority. An impressively quiet cabin remains so thanks to the Bose audio system’s active noise cancellation system. Fortunately, you can still hear the engine, which sounds sweet when revved.
So, aside from some cheap plastic, what’s disappointing?
Any real sports car buyer would be wise to bypass the optional Digital Adaptive Steering. Infiniti’s steer-by-wire system forgoes mechanical linkages for an electronic control unit that sends information about steering wheel angle to the steering angle actuator, which then changes the wheels’ direction.
This is perhaps the vehicle’s biggest problem, as the Q60 with DAS suffers from light, numb steering that deprives the car of feeling even remotely like a sports car. Skip the DAS and you’ll find the electronic power steering possesses good heft, a modicum of road feel and a serious sports car demeanor.