Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury brand, has been available around Europe – albeit not in Ireland – for some time but has failed to make much of an impression on buyers. Although Infiniti has been a big hit in the US, European drivers seem not to be impressed by its distinctive styling, hybrid drivetrains, clever steer-by-wire systems or sponsorship of the Red Bull Formula 1 team.
That could be about to change with the introduction of the Q30, a front-wheel-drive compact crossover designed to compete with the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series. Although it will be built in the UK, the Q30 is almost identical underneath to the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, as part of a tie-up to share chassis and diesel-engine development between Mercedes, Renault and Nissan.
Speaking to Automotive News, Nissan’s design boss, Shiro Nakamura, said the Qashqai-like appeal of the Q30 (above) should boost Infiniti in Europe. “Creating our own image by going into the normal sedan area would be more difficult. It is a very competitive market. The strength of the Q30 is that it doesn’t look like anything else.”
There is a potential wrinkle in Infiniti’s plans, though: it was announced last week that Mercedes will take the lead in developing Infiniti models that share platforms and engines with their German cousins. Mercedes-Benz’s chief executive, Dieter Zetsche, confirmed as much, and Infiniti boss Andy Palmer has said the Q30 could also spawn a more upright SUV-style vehicle that would have strong links with Mercedes’ GLA.
The question must be whether there are limits to what Mercedes will do for its much smaller but still premium-brand rival.