Nissan has been coughing up some interesting cars recently, and I’m not even considering its beautifully bonkers Le Mans challenger. Its luxury subsidiary Infiniti is aiming for premium German territory and its latest compact SUV has just been previewed before the Geneva Motor Show.
Called the QX30, the car will take on the likes of BMW’s X1 and Audi’s Q3 in the city-crossover segment, targeting adventurous but suitably stylist consumers, no doubt.
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It’s an interesting take on this segment too. While BMW’s X1 and Audi’s Q3 are relatively cute cars, the QX30 is clearly more rigid and striking, but boasts a more buxom rear end. Understandably, that’s not something you hear said often about a car, but it duly applies here.
As for the drivetrain, a tweaked Mercedes turbocharged four-pot will be the protagonist, while all-wheel drive will be optional perfect for those weekend runabouts in the countryside.
Of course, the Q30 hatchback should follow it our of showroom floors later in the year but the car itself will be unveiled in the sheet metal at the Geneva Motor Show on 3 March. It’s quite a long time to wait, but until then Infiniti has some big plans for this car, at least if the company’s European head François Goupil de Bouillé is to be understood:
“We expect to sell around 60,000 of the two models in the first full year, with 30,000 sold in Europe.”
As for South Africa? Well, there are no current details about Infiniti and Nissan bringing the car to our shores.
