Infiniti Q60 Coupe Review

Can Infiniti gate-crash the competitive coupe market and knock Audi, BMW and Mercedes off their perch with its new pretender, the Q60 Coupe? We drive it to find out

What do we have here?

It’s pretty hard to deny that the all-new Infiniti Q60 Coupe is a stunning looking car. But what is it? Well, it’s Infiniti’s take on a compact-executive to take on the likes of the Audi A5 Coupe, BMW 4 Series and Mercedes Benz C-Class Coupe?

It’s available with two engines, a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol and a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol. There are four trim levels to choose from and prices start from £34,300.

The entry-level 2.0-litre has its power sent through the rear wheels, however, the model we’re testing - the Q60S 3.0-litre Sport Tech - gets four-wheel drive as standard and costs from £47,275.

How does it drive?

Under the bonnet lives an all-new and aluminium 3.0-litre engine developing 399bhp and 350lb ft of torque, giving it enough oomph to get it from standstill to 62mph in 5.0 secs.

It will return around 31mpg on an official combined cycle, and it emits 280g/km of Co2. However, over our 600 miles of testing, we managed 28.8 miles to the gallon which is impressive.

Max torque arrives at 1600rpm and stretches all the way through to 5200rpm, whilst max power is at 6400rpm. That means that this engine is really flexible and particularly strong, so it is quick to react to inputs and is very, very fast.

It also makes the car feel really light because it is so responsive. Sink the peddle, flick a gear and it just goes. Almost at any time, at any speed, there’s enough power to do exactly what you want and to have a lot of fun along the way. And that V6 soundtrack is rather addictive.

This has got a seven-speed automatic gearbox as standard, with flappy panels on the steering wheel. It’s not the smoothest system and it’s not the quickest to react, however, flick a gear down and it’s a little bit quicker than leaving it in auto mode. You can also shift the lever to the side and change gears sequentially.

As standard, the all-wheel-drive system provides a 50:50 front to rear split of power. However, up to 100% can be sent to the rear if required. Surprisingly though there is quite a bit of wheel spin if the conditions aren’t bone dry.

This model has dynamic digital suspension which can be adapted. You have five modes; Standard, Sport, Sport plus, Snow and Individual. Sport makes the steering weightier and quicker to respond, whilst Sport Plus makes it even faster to respond but leaves the weighting the same.

On motorways and A roads, the Q60S Coupe is quite comfortable, and you can while away long distances with little to grumble about. However, on a rough B road, it really does bounce around and becomes quite firm, although it’s not much worse than BMW’s M Sport setup.

However, the Q60S does stay nice and flat through the bends. This model gets direct adaptive steering, it’s Infiniti’s second-generation and it’s a drive by wire system, so essentially, it’s all digital; nothing is physically connecting the steering wheel to the front wheels. And you believe it because it provides a really disconcerting feel, no feedback through the wheel, and the Q60 tramlines like nothing else. You’ll be driving along and then suddenly you’ll be moving a foot to the left with little warning.

Visibility out is good, the front pillars aren’t too thick, and you’ve got a nice long piece of glass forming the doors. Over-the-shoulder view isn’t bad either. That coupe roofline really doesn’t block too much of your view like some of its rivals.

Refinement levels on the motorway mean the Q60S is quiet and there is little wind noise but just a touch of road noise.

It’s got plenty of safety kit on it. Adaptive cruise control, however, does leave you quite a long way from the car in front, even in the shortest setting. There’s blind spot monitoring, and lane keep assist, although I haven’t got on with that very well at all, I don’t think it works particularly well.

What's it like inside?

The interior cabin is a really pleasant place to be, mainly due to the leather-wrapped surfaces with contrasting stitching, whilst there is some very pleasant trim as well.

You get two touchscreen systems to control your navigation and ventilation and other car controls. There's an 8.0-inch and a 7.0-inch touchscreen that really reduces the number of buttons on the dash.

You can, however, control the radio and stereo manually, as you can on the steering wheel. Use the rotary dial between the seats for your major functions on the top screen, whilst the lower screen is mainly touchscreen.

There is plenty of kit, so you get the leather seats and trim, the satellite navigation, dual-zone climate control, heated seats, a leather perforated steering wheel, cruise control, DAB, radio and Bluetooth.

The instrument dials are neat and tidy and quite stylish, and it’s a really pleasant place to be.

The driver’s seat is electrically adjustable, so there’s plenty of adjustment, while there is also bolster support so you can really wedge yourself in nice and snug. In the lowest seating position, there’s decent headroom with a good view out. There are 2 memory settings for you, and perhaps your partner.

The steering wheel adjustment is also electric and offers pretty decent range, so most people should be able to find a comfortable driving position.

Storage isn’t too bad. There is a reasonable sized door bin which will take a small bottle of water, a tiny almost useless tray ahead of the gear-lever, a couple of cup holders in the middle and a decent sized central bin with a USB connector, whilst the glovebox isn’t too bad. To finish it off there’s a sunglasses holder in the roof.

To get into the back, tilt the front seat forward and press and hold the single electric button on its shoulder. Climbing in is pretty easy.

Headroom is limited but there is enough leg room so that one can slant forwards a little bit. If you sit further back then there’s decent leg and knee room, although foot room is a little bit restricted.

Verdict:

The Q60s certainly is a head turner and stands out from the crowd. If that’s what you want, it’s a good option. The interior is well appointed and the 3.0-litre V6 engine is an absolute delight!

However, the steering lets it down no end and unfortunately, that needs to go back to the drawing board.

If Infinity can sort the steering out, this would be a fantastic coupe.

Driver's Seat Rating:

7 out of 10

It's Worth Considering:

Audi A5 Coupe

BMW 4 Series

Infiniti Q60S Sport Tech 3.0t AT AWD

Price: £47,275

Engine: 2997cc twin turbo

Power: 399 bhp

Torque: 350lb ft / 475 Nm