Infiniti - Q60S 3.0 Sport Tech Reviewed

Infiniti is a luxury automotive manufacturer that was created over 30 years ago with an emphasis on performance, design and customer experience. A division of Nissan, this premium car brand was created to help it compete in the European and American markets driving technical innovation and design.

Industry-first technology developments include; Hydraulic Active Suspension, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Departure Prevention & Backup Collision Intervention Systems. Complimented with other driver focus features like Direct Adaptive Steering and successful history of high-performance V6 engines. Infiniti’s emblem depicts this continued development with two central lines stretching off into the horizon designed to embody the forward-thinking approach.

The Q60S 3.0 SPORT TECH is the latest incarnation of the top of the range encompassing its previous technology developments to produce a high-performance luxury sports coupe with the styling to match.

Infiniti – Q60S 3.0 Sport Tech Reviewed

Contents show

First Impressions

Instantly the styling of this model stands out with its sleek shape which includes powerful deep creases to show this a powerful sports coupe. This impressive design is helped by the latest developments in 3D manufacturing process with an Infiniti Design Centre in our own UK capital. The vibrant Sunstone Red paint brings the car to life in the flesh and attracted many admirers in the time we tested the car.

With this being the top of the range Sport Tech model, it comes with an impressive range of equipment from Communications to Safety features. Infiniti has prided itself on putting the driver and its passengers at the forefront of the driving experience with protection been a vital ingredient of this. Features in this model include the standard items we have come used to like Anti Brake System(ABS), Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Brake for Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). Infiniti has taken this to the next level by providing what they call the Safety Shield Pack – Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), Distance Control Assist (DCA), Forward Collision Warning System (FCW), Predictive forward collision Warning System (PFCW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Blind Spot Warning (BSW) and Intervention, Around View Monitor (AVM), Backup collision intervention and finally Forward emergency braking with pedestrian detection. It does not mean you can drive without due care and attention, but the impressive range of systems not only warn you and more importantly prevent where possible.

Infiniti – Q60S 3.0 Sport Tech Reviewed

Exterior

There were numerous occasions while spending time with the Q60S that I caught myself admiring the styling and detail of the body form. At every angle, you noticed something different and this was enhanced by the sunlight direction and the shadows that were cast over the deep dramatic creases. For me this was is one of the finest examples of how to combine sophistication with a sporting look.

The sleek design provides a low-profile body shape which is another ingredient for the sporting profile and just importantly a low drag coefficient of 0.29. This aggressive stance sitting on those 19” dark chrome alloy wheels provide the finishing touches to the overall striking presence.

From the front, you have the large grill to provide the cooling required which is supported on either side by powerful looking headlights. They wrap around the side of the car providing bright LED illumination on the road for driver’s safety. The splitter completes the view with its angler design to assist in the near-zero lift aerodynamics of the vehicle.

As you move around to the rear the design lines continue with many intricate features. The rear quarters include a grill to form part of the rear diffuser that surrounds the twin exhaust system. To provide a rear boot that is flush with the main body they placed the boot lid release button as part of the near-side brake light system. This did bring a smile to my face once I realized after a few head-scratching moments.

Infiniti – Q60S 3.0 Sport Tech Reviewed

Interior

As you slide into the driver’s seat, you find yourself in a low driving sports position with fantastic visibility. The windscreen feels like it wraps around you and you could be in the cockpit of a fighter jet. The lined leather seats provide excellent support and one of the more comfortable sports seats that I have had the pleasure to enjoy. They include a 3-mode heating setting which is warming with the current cold climate. The rest of the interior has a premium look with a combination of carbon fibre interior, leather trim and aluminium components to provide a classy look and feel.

The centre console comes with a dual-screen to provide all the Infotainment and communications you would require in this high sport tech model via its INFINITI InTouch™ system. This connected system brings a wide range of services into the car from traditional Navigation to weather and stock market status. Like all the best systems it was intuitive to use once you got your bearings around the layout of the two screens. As a result, there is a limited number of traditional manual switches on the dashboard to allow clean lines as part of the continued sophisticated design. Sound quality is superb via thirteen Bose speakers with enhanced acoustics from its Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) system.

Overall the cabin is spacious for a coupe and provides seating in the rear, but not ideal for tall people due to the sloping roofline although adequate otherwise.

Infiniti – Q60S 3.0 Sport Tech Reviewed

On The Road

Nissan has an excellent engineering pedigree, and the Infiniti Q60S is using the latest generation of the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 producing over 400 bhp. Supported by a 7-speed automatic transmission which powers the wheels via an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system. I was looking forward to seeing how this would fare in the current weather conditions.

The engine is impressive with little to no turbo lag and feels like a normally aspirated engine. It will rev all the way up to 7,000 RPM with effortless ease at a rapid pace. The 7-speed automatic transmission makes good use of this power and smoothly shifts between gears in standard drive mode. If this was a manual, I fear my gear changes would not be as smooth as a result of being caught napping with the swift acceleration of the engine to the red line. The power curve feels linear through the rev range which provides reassuring drive-ability of the vehicle. Helped by the Intelligent AWD system which can transfer all this power between the front and rear wheels dynamically. For me, this was the masterpiece of the overall performance as it felt like a rear-wheel car which was nimble and alive, but provided the secure traction of an AWD system. This was tested in these conditions and fun to drive with all the grip you had available at your disposal.

Infiniti – Q60S 3.0 Sport Tech Reviewed

There are five driver modes which you can pre-select from the drive selector including Snow, ECO, Standard, Sport, Sport+ and Personal. Other than the performance, traction and suspension changes between the different modes are the enhanced noise from the rear twin exhaust. They are relatively quiet compared to the power of the engine, but this increased when you went up to Sport although this could have been more. You would get a blip of noise on the downshifts with the synchronised rev-matching control system.

The Q60S model comes with the Direct Adaptive Steering which is electronic versus standard mechanical. This provides a quick and precise response which also supports the light and dynamic feel of the car. For some drivers, they might prefer the feedback from the road which a mechanical system provides, but otherwise this works well.

Sports cars in their nature come with an uprated suspension configuration to support the power and performance of the vehicle. The Q60S facilitates this with an advanced Dynamic Digital Suspension (SDS). The setup of the suspension is done electronically and is in line with the drive mode you select. The system will continue to monitor the driving conditions and will dynamically alter the damper settings where required. This worked well and provided a softer ride compared to other sports cars, but without losing that driver-centric feel. An example of this if you were to go over a bump or pothole the suspension would quickly react and not leave you shaken.

Road noise in the cabin was louder than I would expect in a car of this class. Changing the drive mode settings did not have an impact on this other than a louder exhaust note in the sportier selection. It just been fitted with new tyres which could have been a contributing factor, but expect it was mainly due to the run-flat tyres which is not an uncommon symptom.

Infiniti – Q60S 3.0 Sport Tech Reviewed

Conclusion

No doubt this is a handsome and stylish design which stands out instantly, but it also comes with an engineering pedigree. The vast array of technical features due to continuous innovation from safety, design and performance is impressive and especially for the price point of the Q60S Sport Tech model. Compared to other Sports Coupes in this class, it is effortless to drive with great performance and safety of the AWD system to in all weather conditions. It is not as driver-focused as other coupes and more of a GT but makes it more useable for every day and attracted many admirers during our time together. The Q60S felt elegant and growing on me.