9/20/2023 0 Comments 2017 qx30 infinitiWe’re hoping Infiniti eventually trots out, say, a QX30 Red Sport model of similar potency. Snappy as the Sport model is, we know the QX30 chassis can handle more power-witness the nutty, 355-hp Mercedes-AMG GLA45, which has gained 20 horsepower since our last test. They were also on the QX30 we photographed for our earlier first-drive story. from Infiniti’s Sunderland, U.K., assembly plant, according to an Infiniti spokesman. The no-cost sunroof and navigation options will appear on nearly every QX30 Sport coming to the U.S. While our test car was a stripper, lacking even the no-cost options of a sunroof and navigation, we also had some seat time in one loaded up with the $1500 Sport Leather package (seats and dashboard trimmed in nappa leather, heated seats, black faux-suede headliner), the $1000 Sport LED package (LED ambient lighting, adaptive LED headlamps), and the $1200 Sport Technology package (blind-spot and lane-departure warning, forward emergency braking, automatic high-beams, adaptive cruise control). Which it does, mostly-the weak points of the interior are conspicuously cheaper plastic used on the lower door and dash panels, plus the modest size of the cargo hold and the rather tall and upright rear seatback. Most non-car folks likely won’t notice nor care about those things, let alone the less evident sharing of seat frames and button backlighting, so long as it all looks and functions harmoniously. Car aficionados may amuse themselves hunting for components shared with the baby Benz-some are obvious, such as the engine start/stop button, the steering wheel, and the HVAC controls. Automated parking assist, front and rear parking sensors, and a flat-bottom steering wheel are also standard fare. Inside, the QX30 Sport’s ergonomically straightforward and subtle interior design lends itself well to sportification, including the fitment of handsome and supportive sport seats and liberal use of contrast-stitched faux suede on the seats, armrests, and dashboard. LOWS: Some turbo lag, upright rear seat, disappointing real-world fuel economy.įor visual pizzazz, Infiniti gives Sport models distinct bumpers and dark-chrome exhaust tips in addition to the aforementioned 19-inch wheels. All the while, the suspension is firm, if occasionally harsh. And the brakes-upgraded with cross-drilled front rotors-are utterly spectacular. Stability at triple-digit speeds is remarkable for a small hatchback, and at lower velocities, torque steer has been effectively quashed. The steering could use more feedback but is quick and direct, with linear responses and weighting that increases in concert with the driver’s ambitions. Another competitor, the 10Best Cars–winning Volkswagen GTI, is about a half-second quicker in most acceleration measures, but the Infiniti nearly matched the GTI’s tenacious 0.91 g on the skidpad and beat the GTI’s braking distance by two feet.īut numbers tell only part of the story: On the road, the QX30 Sport feels frisky and eager. Incidentally, the QX30 Sport beat the last Mercedes-Benz GLA250 we tested nearly as handily in every measure excepting the sprint to 60 mph, which the all-wheel-drive Benz performed 0.1 second quicker, thanks in part to a launch-control function not available on the Infiniti. HIGHS: Thoroughbred chassis, willing engine, slick cabin. While none of the Sport model’s cosmetic touches nor its aggressively contoured sport seats make it a better performer, each adds a measure of engagement to the experiences of approaching, entering, and interacting with the car. As in all QX30s, the transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Wheels grow from 18 to 19 inches in diameter and are shod with more aggressive Goodyear run-flat performance tires versus the AWD model’s all-season rubber. That lowers the center of gravity enough to make it feel more like a hot hatchback than a shrunken SUV. It also rides 0.8-inch closer to earth than the base front-drive version. It gets the same 208 horsepower from the same turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four as other QX30 models (and GLA250s), but our front-wheel-drive Sport weighed nearly 200 pounds less than the all-wheel-drive edition that underwhelmed in the comparo. The Sport label encompasses more than just spoilers and fancy wheels, as well it ought to for its hefty $8550 upcharge over the entry-level model. While this model uses Mercedes structural and powertrain bits, Infiniti deserves some credit for making the $39,495 QX30 Sport model look and drive differently from the more lumbering QX30 AWD. Every 2020 Compact Luxury Crossover and SUV Ranked.2017 Infiniti QX30 AWD Tested: Trendy or Timeless?.QX30 Tested and Driven, and Compact Luxury SUVs Ranked!
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