The weird premium-compact hatch just got a little more appealing.
Nissan’s luxury marque Infiniti have just concluded a streamlining exercise for their Q30 & QX30 compact cars, bringing down the number of variants from 5 to 2, with just one engine on offer (it used to offer two). As part of the reduction in range complexity, Infiniti is excited to offer some serious savings for those who might’ve previously overlooked the two ’30’ cars, with prices down as much as $7,000 on some variants.
Gone are the Turbo GT, Turbo Sport, Sport Premium, and Turbo GT Premium specifications. In their place is just two: Pure, the entry level variant, and Sport, the flagship. The Q30 is offered in both grades whereas the QX30 is available only as a Sport.
“The Infiniti Q30 & QX30 offer great value to those considering a premium small-car purchase, and who want a high level of features in a luxury package. We’ve listened to the customers and focused on enhancing the Q30 & QX30, and the Infiniti brand, based off this feedback. These cars deserve higher marketshare, and we believe this range of changes give them every chance to succeed.” — Guy Street, Managing Director, Infiniti Cars Australia
Small changes to the aesthetics have been made, to signify the move into the 2019 model year. Q30 Pure cars now feature a “striking” grille up front, reprofiled bumpers, black mirror housings, sill extensions in the primary body colour, and a pair of tailpipes in a day chrome. You’ll also find things like LED headlights (with adaptive beam), lane-departure warning, traffic-sign recognition, and a reversing camera as standard.
Also standard are things like DAB digital radio, a leather-accented flat-bottomed steering wheel, and upholstery in an Alcantara/faux-leather combination.
Move up a rung to the Q30 Sport and you get things like adaptive cruise control, intelligent brake assist (AEB to you and me), front parking sensors, 360º cameras with moving-object detection, and autonomous parking. You also get a 10-speaker audio system from Bose, dual-zone climate control (with rear vents), and leather-accented upholstery with electric seat adjustment for the front pews (replete with memory).
The QX30 Sport on the other hand gets 19-inch alloys, Intelligent All-Wheel Drive, comfort-tuned off-road suspension, adjustable front head rests, and satin-chrome ‘bash plates’ at the front & rear matched by satin-chrome roof rails.
| Model | Variant | MSRP | Drive-Away | Savings |
| Infiniti Q30 | Pure | $44,900 | N/A | Unchanged |
| Infiniti Q30 | Sport | $52,900 | $46,888 | -$6012 |
| Infiniti QX30 | Sport | $56,900 | $49,888 | -$7012 |
All Q30s and QX30s share the same engine though, a 2.0-litre turbo-4 petrol mill with 155kW and 450Nm, with power going to either the front-wheels or all-four via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.
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