SIZE MATTERS
INFINITI TAKES ON TEUTONIC TRIO WITH ALL- NEW QX30 COMPACT CROSSOVER,
• Driving through the primordial rain forests of the Pacific Northwest, one’s mind can wander to ponder the larger questions of existence. Why are we here?
But behind the wheel of this all- new vehicle, I kept wondering: Does the world really need another premium compact crossover? Probably not, but if you’re Infiniti, the all-new 2017 QX30 makes perfect sense.
Three out of its four topselling models in Canada are luxury CUVs and SUVs, but sales in the compact segment have ballooned by some 43 per cent this year. With no dog in that fight — one dominated by Audi, BMW and Mercedes- Benz with the Q3, X1 and GLAClass, respectively — it made sense for Nissan’s luxury arm to enter the fray.
The all- new QX30 is the first offspring of a five- year partnership between Infiniti and Mercedes’ parent Daimler, and it shares many underpinnings with t he GLA, the top- seller in the segment in Canada. These include platform, engine, transmission and technological bits and pieces.
The QX30 comes in Base, Sport and AWD versions. Infiniti Canada says the AWD will be the big seller.
The Sport model is 1.5 centimetres l ower t han the Base, gets a sport front and rear f ascia, 19- i nch wheels — Base and AWD come with 18-inchers — and cross-drilled front rotors. Its spring rate is also seven per cent stiffer than the Base. The AWD is just over three centimetres higher than the Base, and gets its own front and rear fascia, along with distinctive 18- inch wheels and its spring rate is stiffened by three per cent.
All share a 2.0-litre turbocharged four producing 208 horsepower and 258 poundfeet of torque, paired to a Mercedes seven- speed dualclutch automatic transmission. Paddle shifters come standard on all models, as do three driving modes: Economy, Sport and Manual.
The QX30 has a muscular exterior, with high haunches and beltlines, a doublearch grille and a swept-back windshield — an aggressive look that hints at the GLA.
We j umped in a f ully loaded AWD model, which included the Premium and Technology add-ons.
I wasn’t expecting much in terms of performance, but that turbo- aided torque came to the fore from a low of 1,200 rpm up to 4,000.
The stiffer spring rate provided sure footing, and while we didn’t do any off- road driving, the up- and- down, twisty roads of Bainbridge Island gave ample opportunity to push the suspension. It was very tight and solid, and cabin noise was exceptionally low.
The 2017 Infiniti QX30 will be in Canadian showrooms next month, and fueleconomy figures and pricing will be released soon. Expect the pricing to range between $38,000 and $48,000.