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When Infiniti presented the Q2013 to the international press in autumn 50, I was already there. The test drives took place in the Spanish hinterland and the Q50 with its completely new steering (see below), the diesel heart from Stuttgart, its successful design and an up-to-date multimedia system had convinced me.
Already then I have the Q50 the potential for revolution in the company car class assumed. But it was also clear that you can only really judge a car in the everyday test, Two weeks are the minimum to make a reliable judgment about a car. The Hybrid variant of the predecessor was ingenious, but a hybrid is simply not one of the top drive solutions in this class. What the predecessor was still missing, the Q50 has now donated: a decent diesel engine. Because if you want to conquer the class of company cars, you have to be able to nail, you are not allowed to drink and still have to pull through with force.
Infiniti Q50 - The slightly different sedan
Business class with style
The revolution failed to materialize 9 months after the premiere of the Q50. For sure. You could throw that at my head. Auto bloggers and their flowery word-ejections. But stop. It's not the Q50's fault. He has all the talents - I'm sure of that. The problem is somewhere else. At Infiniti I have two interviews at the level of the decision makers met and both times the decision maker was shortly thereafter excreted. Infiniti lacks in Europe the assertiveness, because the right heads were missing. The brand itself was in a decision vacuum too long. It distanced itself compulsively from the roots of the company Renault-Nissan and wants to be understood as an independent brand. But you do not do that again, presumably from the parent company, not with enough emphasis.
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- 2 weeks in the test
- 1.100 test kilometers
- Base price: € 34.350
- Test car price: € 41.170
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- Eco tour: 4.3 l / 100 km
- Everyday driving: 5.5 l / 100 km
- Field worker mode: 7.8 l / 100 km
- More about test car consumption
Back to the Q50 2.2D
Back to the car, back to business talent, back to diesel. The 2.2 liter diesel heart in the new Q50 is a development loan from Mercedes-Benz. However, the potent nail friend is only allowed to go to work in the noble Japan sedan with 170 hp - whereas Mercedes-Benz currently has up to 204 hp for service. However, the motors are not completely identical. Infiniti uses its own engine management system and a differently positioned charge air cooler. But that's really just the lesser of two evils. The bigger evil is the possibility to combine the Q50 2.2 diesel with the manual 6-speed gearbox. This gearbox does not allow the joy of shifting to arise, the distances too long, the handling of the stick too imprecise. In return, the manual gearbox maximizes efficiency. With 114 g CO² per kilometer and a standard consumption of 4.5 liters, the Q50 will finally become a green company car. And that without sacrificing real comfort - with everything that has nothing to do with the transmission. After I had the Q50 2.2 with manual transmission to the test and was able to use the 7-speed automatic during the test drives in Spain, the recommendation is clear: Pro automatic!
Drive & save
As a driver, for the first time you feel properly integrated in a Japanese limousine. Sitting deep enough, nicely framed by the center console, perfectly placed behind the steering wheel with good grip. Infiniti is the first manufacturer to offer decoupled steering. Instead of a direct mechanical connection, the steering is operated in a similar way to the “steer-by-wire” technology of aircraft. However, the legislation does not allow this as a “stand alone” solution, so the mechanics are retained and serve as a “fall back” in the event of a failure. The result of this decoupling is amazing and was described by me at the time as follows:
The test car driven came in the Premium Line and was not equipped with the “DAS direct-adaptive-steering” steering. And what should I say? The Q50 still drives well - although the fascination of decoupling is a bit missed.
It remains a sporty, manageable sedan in the three-series BMW, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 segment. Thanks to rear-wheel drive, the steering is free of drive influences even without the “DAS system”, the run-flat tires roll a bit stiffly, but the cooperation and coordination of springs and dampers works all the better. The manual gearbox plagues the driver with hakligen and long shift travel, but the 400 Nm of the diesel and the successful chassis compensate for this. So close to the Bavarian company car hero with the three in the name, has not been exotic until now.
Exotic status
It probably remains an exotic. But this exotic status could be the beginning of a real success. Isn't it that often? First these exotics are laughed at, ridiculed and later they change the course of history. Sure - it's about a car. One from a current Japanese-French alliance, with a German engine, under a fire that originally started in the USA. The Infiniti Q50 is already multicultural status. He wants to combine the best of all worlds. The quality and reliability of a Japanese, the service concept of an American, the emotions of a German premium sedan - that simply has to lead to an exotic status. The Q50 has this status with a frame.
To be online
Two large displays were accommodated in the cockpit. Where other manufacturers still struggling with DIN standard manholes and Dreh-Drück-Dingensbummens, presents Infiniti probably the most beautiful way to give your own fat fingers the right validity. How ingenious would the touch screen be if we did not always leave a trace with our fat pencils? If you look at the smartphone history, then this shortcoming did not stop us from considering the touch screen as the most sensible solution.
In addition to the ability to work via the touchscreen, the Q50 has additional “direct selection keys” for the most frequently used settings. Adjust the temperature quickly? No thing, no menus, just press to the right or left of the large lower monitor. The overall integration of the two monitors looks extremely successful. The upper one works primarily as a navigation display, but can also be fed with other content. The lower one is primarily the interface for operation - but can also be used to display content. For example for the apps. Or as an interface to the mobile phone. The current implementation with the Infiniti app, its functions and options, still leaves a lot of room for improvement. I would prefer an integration of the Apple CarPlay standards or the Mirror-Link system to a connection via a smartphone app that is difficult to configure!
Positive list:
[One_third]+++ LED lightModern car without modern light? It does not work. This is why INFINITI offers LED headlights in the Q50. As of the sports equipment in series, including for a surcharge of € 850. There is also a first-class cornering light. An absolute “must have”!
[/one_third] [one_third]++ draft400 Nm are just 400 Nm and even if the maximum power of the 2.2 liter of diesel was limited to 170 PS, makes the Mercedes engine in the Q50 an excellent job. The transmission is hakelig, but well graded. The Q50 attracts in every situation properly!
[/one_third] [one_third last=last]+ ConsumptionThe NEDC standard consumption of the Q50 2.2 D with the manual transmission is 3.7 liters on 100 kilometers. Unfortunately, the eco-tour did not get it on the clock. But 4.3, 5.5 and especially the 7.8 liter in the Max test are really extremely good!
[/ one_third]Really current:
In issue 16, auto, motor und sport uncovered a problem in the coordination of the ESP in the hybrid models of the Q50. Here the vehicle broke away during “µ-split brake tests”. Infiniti has reacted and developed a new software version and promises to make this available for all hybrid Q50s within one month. I have to say: This is exactly the kind of work I expect from an automotive magazine like ams. But this is exactly the kind of reaction I expect from a manufacturer. There is no messing around, there is action asap. In addition, the problem seems to be limited to hybrid variants. The Q50 I moved (also without DAS) was a product of driving pleasure. Classic, solid, well coordinated.
The conclusion
The Q50 deserves to be better marketed. The Q50 is an extremely decent business sedan, with a good chassis, an extremely good diesel engine, good quality in the interior and a (nearly) State-of-the-art entertainment solution.
As a handset, the Q50 is not completely convincing, but it remains extremely economical. My recommendation: do without the last drop of fuel saved and instead use the 7-speed automatic transmission (also a Daimler loan) order. And in the parking lot you will never again be mistaken between the same limousines, you will find the Q50 right away! It simply stands out from the dreary everyday life of the same company cars! And who else offers a service a la Infiniti in this segment? 3-year guarantee and a pick-up and delivery service for the inspections - including free rental car.
Exactly - nobody - but that's exactly what makes a good business limousine! Take little yourself, but give a lot!
| Technical data: | Consumption and emissions: |
|---|---|
Power: 170 PS Power: 400 Nm Acceleration 0-100 km / h: 8.7 Sec. Maximum speed: 231 km / h |
Efficiency class: A + Emission standard: EU5 consumption combined according to NEDC: 4.4 l / 100 km CO² emission com .: 114g / km |
Data according to manufacturer.