Frankfurt show: Infiniti Q30 locked in

THE Frankfurt Motor Show will herald the debut of Infiniti’s new Q30 small hatch – the first production car to come from an alliance between Renault-Nissan Alliance and Mercedes-Benz.

As part of a deal forged in 2012 between the car-makers, Infiniti will utilise a modified version of the MFA platform that currently underpins the current A- and B-Class, CLA and GLA cars from the German manufacturer.

Revealed in concept form at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show, the Q30 is said by Infiniti to be a “fusion of coupe, hatch and crossover”. In line with the recent onslaught of Infiniti concepts, including Q80, Q60 and QX30, the production version of the Q30 appears – in silhouette at least – to remain faithful to the 2013 concept car.

Infiniti Australia general manager of corporate communications Peter Fadeyev confirmed that the Q30 would be added to the local Infiniti line-up, which currently comprises the mid-sized Q50 sedan, the larger Q60 coupe and convertible, the four-door Q70 sedan and the QX70 SUV.

“We’re anticipating adding the Q30 to our local line-up late in the first quarter of 2016,” said Mr Fadeyev. “It’s an important segment for us, and it’s attracting a new wave of premium buyers.” Infiniti’s lack of a volume-selling model to this point has curtailed the brand’ s growth in Australia, but Mr Fadeyev suggested its two newest cars would help to add sales to the bottom line.

“Alongside the Q50, we’re expecting the Q30 to be a volume-selling model for Infiniti,” he said.

While no powertrain options have been revealed, the Nissan-Daimler deal also includes an arrangement for Nissan to manufacture Mercedes’ M270 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine in its Tennessee plant. The engine is likely to feature in the Q30 at launch, while a small-capacity diesel is also mooted.

Given that the MFA platform has all-wheel-drive flexibility, an all-paw version of the five-door hatch is also a possibility, but that could be saved for the expected crossover version, the QX30.

The Q30 will be pitched against rivals like BMW’s 1 Series, Audi’s A3 range and its blood relative, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

The Q30 will be built in Infiniti’s Sunderland plant in the United Kingdom.

Infiniti’s local sales stand at just 221 units for the year to date, which is a 32.3 per cent improvement on the same period in 2014.