Q60 a more subtle sport coupe
Coming to North American showrooms in late summer
Infiniti launched its newest sport coupe, the Q60, at the Detroit auto show, which apart from some subtle design tweaks, looks very similar to the concept car the brand presented in Detroit last year.
The new 2017 Q60 becomes Infiniti’s third generation of sport coupe, following in the footsteps of the G35 and G37 models.
The styling, which Infiniti president Roland Krueger refers to as “brand-shaping,” features a more subtle air intake design under the signature grille relative to the concept but keeps the deeply stamped side panels and backward-tilted, crescent-shaped C pillars.
Several decisions have been made on this model that follow industry trends at large. Key among them are the powertrain options, which are all turbocharged: a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine is available, but the star of the show is the new twin-turbo, 3.0litre V6, which comes in 300 and 400 horsepower iterations.
All three options come paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shift control — no manuals here, unfortunately, but that’s becoming less surprising.
Whether the engine will be noisy enough to appease enthusiasts re- mains to be seen, but the power numbers are certainly intriguing. The 300 horsepower version makes 295 lb-ft of torque that’s available from 1,600 to 5,200 r.p.m., while the 400 hp version puts out 350 lb-ft through the same range.
The promised fuel economy is more or less on par with similar vehicles. Converted from American numbers, the four-cylinder promises a combined fuel rating of roughly 9.8 L/100 km, the 300 hp, V6, 10.2 L/100 km, and the 400 hp, V6, 10.7 L/100 km.
Although the Q50 sedan features a performance hybrid powertrain that has generally been well-received, there are no plans at this stage to make that technology available in the Q60 coupe, nor is there a con- vertible version in the works.
Another trend-driven decision is one that’s specific to Canada. While rear-wheel drive will be available elsewhere in the world, power to all four wheels is our only option here.
Other key technical features include a new digital suspension on the sport grades, which the brand promises will deliver best-in-class handling response and agility, plus enhanced ride comfort, and the second generation of Infiniti’s steer-by-wire system, which will be equipped on the V6 models.
No hints are being given whatsoever on pricing except that it will be on par with the market.
The Q60 begins arriving in North American showrooms in the late summer.