![]() Strictly on value terms, the bigger vehicles typically offer more of everything - power, space, refinement, style, cachet - for very little extra cash. You could be discussing Honda Fits and Civics Mazda CX-3s and CX-5s. The greatest issue with the QX30 does not merely pertain to the vehicle itself but is, in fact, germane to most subcompact discussions. And without features that we would expect from a small luxury vehicle at this price point - push-button start, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, cooled front seats, as examples - the price point becomes ever more curious. Although soft fabrics atop the dash suggest expense, wind whistling around the A-pillars, wing mirrors and B-pillars does not. It’s not an uncomfortable space for front occupants, but visibility is poor despite the lofty perch of the QX30. There’s no mistaking the connection between the QX30 and GLA when it comes to climate controls, all of which are mounted terribly low, far out of the driver’s sightlines, and nearly too far a reach. Infiniti installed its own vents, gauges, and infotainment unit. Gone is Mercedes-Benz’s silly column shifter, in its place is a silly console-mounted shifter with no detents and a separate park button. ![]() Numerous pieces inherited from Mercedes-Benz - such as the wiper stalk, light controls, window switches, and the door-mounted seat controls - are mixed with radical departures from the GLA mold. Less differentiated, of course, will be the in-cabin experience. The degree to which these characteristics differ from one QX30 variant to another wouldn’t be clearly known without back-to-back-to-back drives. With lifeless steering and plenty of body roll, the QX30 AWD doesn’t encourage ten-tenths twisty road driving, preferring to be driven quickly rather than hastily. Increasing the emphasis on comfort naturally did the QX30’s handling no favours. (In some markets, non-all-wheel-drive variants use the Q30 nameplate.) The QX30 Sport, wearing 235/45R19 Goodyear EfficientGrip summer tires as standard equipment, sits significantly lower, providing a clearly car-like 6.1 inches of ground clearance. The entry-level QX30 has 6.8 inches of ground clearance and is also fitted with 235/50R18s. This QX30 AWD has 8 inches of ground clearance and rides on 235/50R18 Michelin X-Ice tires. It’s not a magic carpet ride, but the QX30 loped along rough and often icy roads in the middle of Prince Edward Island relatively unflustered. My conclusion: just as the GLA provides a noticeable improvement compared with the clippety-clop CLA sedan, this particular QX30 seems to further move the needle yet again. Ride quality verdicts for the Infiniti QX30 published elsewhere have seemingly landed on every edge of the spectrum. The Manual setting should cater to the enthusiast, but without a shifter and a clutch, Manual is no replacement for a suitable automatic setting. The QX30’s Sport mode would be fine when you’re caning it, but it’s irritating in most urban driving situations. Eco is decidedly eco in nature, going so far as to sometimes lug in too high a gear and sending excessive vibration through the cabin. Unfortunately, there’s no perfect mode in the dynamic selector. ![]() It remains a quick vehicle - 258 lb-ft of torque just above idle is an admirable figure in a 3,500-pounder. Less frantic and more subdued, the QX30 may not be quite as quick off the line as the GLA250, but it’s generally smoother to operate. The improvements, however modest, begin with Infiniti’s own tuning of the 208-horsepower turbocharged 2.0 liter and the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to which it’s married. Yet this QX30 costs roughly $5,000 less than a comparably equipped Mercedes-Benz GLA250 4Matic. A fully optioned 2017 Infiniti QX30 AWD enters the playing field with a haughty $45,495 MSRP, absent a number of features you’d expect on a much less costly car, lacking the space of a typical compact car, and deprived of the illustrious three-pointed star that adorns its twin. Built in Sunderland, England, rather than the GLA’s German factory, the Infiniti QX30 shares its powertrain with the GLA250 and benefits from an Infiniti renovation.įittingly, there’s a meaningful discount available for a buyer who’s willing to consider the Infiniti variant instead of the original Benz. But by procuring the Mercedes-Benz GLA’s architecture, Nissan now has an entrant in the rapidly growing subcompact luxury utility vehicle sector. There’ll be more such vehicles, most notably the Mercedes-Benz X-Class pickup truck that uses the Nissan Navara as its foundation. The 2017 Infiniti QX30, launched in the United States in late August, is the product of a now tenuous partnership between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler.
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