30 Infiniti Q2019 Review: Sport

Welcome to the future where your Mercedes-Benz is Nissan and your Nissan is Mercedes-Benz. 

Lost already? Let me chase you. Infiniti is Nissan's premium division, much like Lexus is Toyota's premium division and the Q30 is Infiniti's hatchback. 

Thanks to the state of various global manufacturing alliances, the Q30 is mechanically basically the previous generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class, with a similar layout in which the new Mercedes-Benz X-Class is mostly made up of Nissan Navara mounts.

Recently, the range of Q30 options has been cut from a confusing five to two, and the one we're testing here is the top-spec Sport.

It makes sense? I hope so. The Q30 Sport joined me on an 800km trip along the east coast in the height of summer. So, can he make the most of his German-Japanese roots? Read on to find out.

Infiniti Q30 2019: Sport
Safety Rating
engine's type	2.0 L turbo
fuel type	Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel efficiency	6.3l / 100km
Landing	5 Places
Price from	$34,200

Does it represent good value for money? What functions does it have? 7/10

If you're shopping in this segment, there's a good chance you're not looking for a bargain, but the Q30 shines in some areas that its competitors don't.

A promising start is the complete absence of a long and expensive list of options with elements that should be standard. In fact, aside from a sensible set of accessories and $1200 premium "Majestic White" paint, the Q30 doesn't have any options in the traditional sense.

The base Q30 features 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with high beam function, heated leather seats, flat-bottomed leather steering wheel, leather-trimmed doors and dashboard, Alcantara (synthetic suede) roof lining, and a 7.0-inch multimedia touchscreen. with DAB+ digital radio support and built-in navigation.

Automatic high beam LEDs are useful on long night drives. (Image credit: Tom White)

Our Sport adds a 10-speaker Bose audio system (which could have been better…), dual-zone climate control, a fixed panoramic sunroof, all-electric front seats, and a Nissan XNUMX-degree parking aid.

It may have premium aspirations, but the Q30 is still defined as Nissan in terms of value.

The 18-inch alloy wheels look good in a contrasting bronze finish. (Image credit: Tom White)

The standard security package is also impressive and you can read more about it in the security section of this review.

Our Q30 Sport costs a total of $46,888 (MSRP), which is still a premium amount. The price pits it against the BMW 120i M-Sport (eight-speed automatic, $46,990), Mercedes-Benz A200 (seven-speed DCT, $47,200) and the premium Japanese hatchback – the Lexus CT200h F-Sport (CVT, $50,400). .

This is the Q30's biggest problem. Brand recognition. Everyone knows BMW and Benz hatchbacks only because of their badges, and the Lexus CT200h is known to those who care about it.

Even without an extensive list of options, this makes the entry price tough compared to such established competition. While you might see a couple of them in Sydney, the Q30 is a relatively rare sight that has drawn quite a few derisive looks in the mid-north coast cities of New South Wales.

The standard specification also lacks important Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. This made the 7.0-inch media screen clunky and largely useless, although the old-fashioned built-in navigation gives you peace of mind when you're out of phone range.

The outdated multimedia system is one of the biggest drawbacks of this car. (Image credit: Tom White)

If you have an Apple phone, you can use the iPod music playback function via the USB port.

Is there anything interesting about its design? 7/10

The Q30 attracted more than just its badge. It really looks like a concept car from a car dealership stand. Not in the form of an early papier-mâché rover prototype, but in the form of six months before production began.

It's all cool with curves cutting off all sides, and Infiniti has done a good job of capturing the brand's signature design lines, such as the chrome-framed grille and scalloped C-pillar, in front and rear three-quarter views.

The design of the Q30 concept car looked better or worse. (Image credit: Tom White)

It's really hard to say that it shares major components with the latest generation (W176) A-Class on the outside, and I'd place the overall look somewhere between Mazda and Lexus design languages, for better or worse.

While the front end is sharp and determined, the rear end is a bit busy with lines throughout and bits of chrome and black trim all over the place. The tapered roofline and tall bumpers set it apart from a regular hatchback. 

It might draw attention for the wrong reasons, but it certainly makes the Q30 look nice when viewed in profile. I wouldn't call it a bad looking car, but it's divisive and will only appeal to certain tastes.

The profile view is one of the best views of this car. (Image credit: Tom White)

Inside, everything is simple and chic. Perhaps too simple compared to the new (W177) A-Class with its all-digital instrument cluster, or the 1 Series with its M-bits. One could even argue that the Audi A3 did a better job with "simplicity".

The seats are nice in a two-tone white and black finish, and the Alcantara roof is a premium touch, but the rest of the dashboard is too plain and dated. There are a small number of buttons on the center stack that have been replaced by more intuitive touchscreen functions on most competitors, and the 7.0-inch touchscreen feels small, remotely embedded in the dash.

The interior is too simple for a premium offering in 2019, with no digital instrument cluster or more advanced media controls. (Image credit: Tom White)

All materials are pleasant to the touch, the most important touch points are wrapped in leather, but it also feels claustrophobic with the abundance of dark finishes, thick roof pillars and low roofline, especially in the rear seat. The switchgear, which basically fell right out of the Benz A-Class, feels good.

How practical is the interior space? 6/10

Infiniti calls the Q30 a "crossover" rather than a hatchback, and this is best reflected in its increased ride height. Rather than snuggle to the ground like an A-Class or 1 Series, the Q30 sits elevated, almost like a small SUV.

There's also the QX30, which is an even more beefed-up version of this car with Subaru XV-inspired plastic guards. The QX30 is also your only path to all-wheel drive now that the Q30 is front-wheel drive only. 

While the extra ride height means you won't have to worry about scratching expensive body panels on speed bumps or steep ramps, you won't want to get too brave on the tarmac.

Interior space is adequate for front passengers with plenty of arm and legroom, but rear seat passengers are left with a little dark space that feels particularly claustrophobic. Headroom isn't great no matter what seat you're in. In the front seat, I could almost put my head on the sun visor (I'm 182 cm) and the back seat wasn't much better.

The rear seats are good, but the space is small. (Image credit: Tom White)

However, rear passengers got good seat trim and two air conditioning vents so they weren't completely forgotten.

There's a moderate amount of storage front and rear, with small bottle holders in each of the four doors, two in the transmission tunnel, and a tiny recess - perhaps useful for keys - in front of the A/C controls.

Even the box on the center console is shallow, despite the large opening. Once I had packed enough loose items on the trip, I started to run out of room for things in the cabin.

There are nets on the backs of the front seats, and there is an extra net on the passenger side of the transmission tunnel.

Outlets are presented as a single USB port on the dash and a 12-volt outlet in the center box.

Despite its commitment to design, the Q30 has a massive trunk. (Image credit: Tom White)

The trunk is a much better story, despite the steep roofline with 430 liters of available space. This is more than the A-Class (370L), 1 Series (360L), A3 (380L) and CT200h (375L). Needless to say, he ate two large duffel bags and some extra stuff we brought with us for our week-long trip.

The seats are down, the space is massive and almost flat, though no official size is given. (Image credit: Tom White)

This is due to its impressive depth, but it comes at a price. The Q30 only has a sound system base and an underfloor inflation kit. There is no spare for long trips.

One annoyance I have to mention is the shift lever, which was annoying when dealing with lean and shift. Often, when trying to switch from reverse or vice versa, he would get stuck in neutral. Sometimes I wonder what's wrong with a switch that locks into position...

The small gear lever was a little annoying in its operation. (Image credit: Tom White)

What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 7/10

In 2019, the list of Q30 engines was reduced from three to one. The smaller diesel and 1.6-litre petrol engines were dropped, leaving the 2.0-litre petrol engine.

Fortunately, this is a powerful unit, delivering 6 kW / 155 Nm of power in a wide range from 350 to 1200 rpm.

The engine produces enough power for a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. (Image credit: Tom White)

It feels responsive, and the smooth-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch automatic doesn't let it down.

The new generation A-Class equivalent, even in 2.0-liter A250 guise, produces less torque with a power output of 165kW/250Nm, so Infiniti gets a hefty chunk of extra power for the money.

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How much fuel does it consume? 6/10

During my weekly test, the Q30 showed a figure of 9.0 l / 100 km. I was a bit disappointed with this figure, given that most of the distance covered was at cruising speeds. 

It gets even worse when you contrast it with a claimed/combined 6.3L/100km (don't know how you could achieve that...) and the fact that I left the annoying start-stop system most of the time.

Fuel consumption fluctuated between 8.0 - 9.5 l / 100 km. The final figure was 9.0 l / 100 km. (Image credit: Tom White)

For the class-leading luxury hatchback, consider the Lexus CT200h, which makes full use of Toyota's hybrid drive and delivers a fuel consumption figure of 4.4 l/100 km.

The Q30 has a 56-liter fuel tank and consumes premium unleaded gasoline with at least 95 octane.

What is it like to drive? 7/10

Thanks to its shared base with the A-Class, the Q30 Sport rides mostly the way you'd expect from a premium hatchback. Just a little lacking in character.

The engine is responsive, the transmission is quick, and the availability of maximum torque as early as 1200 rpm will cause the front wheels to spin if not handled carefully. Power is not the real issue.

Although Infiniti says it has tuned the Q30 in Japan and Europe, the ride has an undeniably German flavor. It's not as tight as the A-Class or 1 Series, but it's also not as soft as the CT200h, so it strikes a decent balance.

The Q30 uses MacPherson strut suspension at the front and a multi-link at the rear, which is more suited to premium cars than the rear torsion beam on the new Benz A 200.

The steering has good feedback, and thankfully it doesn't use the weird "direct adaptive steering" of the larger Q50, which has no mechanical connection between the driver and the road.

If you've already driven a decently capable A-Class, the driving experience will feel familiar. However, the added ride height does seem to dampen cornering feel a bit.

There is also the inclusion of three driving modes - economical, sporty and manual. Economy mode seems to be the default, while Sport simply holds gears longer. Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters could be used to change seven gears in "manual" mode, although this did not add much to the experience.

The addition of active cruise control and adaptive high beams proved fantastic for reducing fatigue on long highway trips at night, but the lack of a soft surface inside the transmission tunnel proved uncomfortable for the driver's knee on long trips.

I insisted on a stop-start system to test it, but it turned out to be slow and annoying. Under normal circumstances, this would be the first thing I would turn off.

Visibility was also slightly limited due to the low C-pillars.

Warranty and safety rating

Basic Warranty

4 years / 100,000 km


guarantee

ANCAP Safety Rating

What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 7/10

Along with the usual upgrades, the Q30 has some decent active safety benefits. Active safety features include automatic emergency braking (AEB) with forward collision warning, blind spot monitoring (BSM), lane departure warning (LDW), and active cruise control.

There's also Nissan's signature 360-degree "Around View Monitor" rearview camera, which feels more useful than it actually is. Fortunately, there is also a standard rear-view camera.

The Q30 has the highest five-star ANCAP safety rating as of 2015, but has not been tested to the more stringent 2019 standards.

The rear seats also have two sets of ISOFIX child seat attachment points. 

As mentioned earlier, the Q30 Sport doesn't have a spare tire, so good luck with the inflation kit if you end up with a breakdown in the outback.

There is no spare wheel here, only the base for the audio system. (Image credit: Tom White)

How much does it cost to own? What kind of guarantee is provided? 8/10

Like all Infiniti products, the Q30 is covered by a four-year or 100,000 km warranty, and a three-year maintenance program can be purchased with the car. At the time of writing, pricing for the 2019 model year Q30 was unaffordable, but its turbocharged 2.0-litre predecessor cost an average of $540 for service once a year or every 25,000 miles.

Badge recognition may be this car's biggest problem. (Image credit: Tom White)

To be fair, the Q30 outperforms the European competition with a one-year warranty and general maintenance costs. This segment of the market is still open to manufacturers who can take the lead by offering a five or more year warranty.

Verdict

The Q30 Sport is a win-win in the premium hatchback segment. For those who don't care about badge equality and are looking for something different, the Q30 delivers perhaps 70 percent of the feel of its well-established rival, offering decent value with standard security and included specs.

The biggest disappointment is how much better it could be if there were a little more in each department. Even at this top spec, the disc experience is a bit generic and lacks modern multimedia capabilities, limiting its appeal to younger audiences.

Even with its promising mixed heritage, the Q30 barely feels like more than the sum of its parts.

Is the Q30 Sport different enough that you would prefer it to premium competitors? Tell us what you think in the comments below.