Infiniti Q50 diesel from $52k

INFINITI will undercut key rivals with its new Q50 mid-sized sedan, after announcing a starting price of $51,990 plus on-road costs.

This price applies to the Q50 GT powered by a Daimler-sourced 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine, compared with the small petrol units in the base Audi A4 1.8 TFSI ($55,500), BMW 316i ($52,300), Lexus IS250 ($55,900) and Mercedes-Benz C200 ($59,900).

Infiniti will also offer a sharpened drive-away price of $55,990 between February and April, to stimulate early interest.

The full Q50 range gives buyers the choice of either the 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine or a 3.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid V6 drivetrain. Buyers can also decide between rear- and all-wheel drive versions of the sedan.

No non-hybrid petrol is offered, however.

Aside from the base model, the diesel-engined car also comes in either the S specification priced from $57,900, or the more upmarket S Premium AWD variant model priced from $61,900.

Q50 Hybrid models start with the $67,900 S, stepping up to the $73,900 S premium AWD variant.

Despite the hybrid’s green credentials, it’s actually more of a performance engine. The 268kW/546Nm petrol/electric combination returns 6.8 litres per 100km in two-wheel drive layout, rising to 7.2L/100km when all four wheels are driven. The rear-drive version can also hustle from 0-100km/h in 5.1secs.

In comparison, the 125kW/400Nm diesel uses 5.2L/100km.

All versions of the Q50 are matched to a seven-speed automatic transmission.

The base diesel-engined GT comes standard with electric leather seats complemented with matching leather-wrapped steering wheel, active noise cancellation, digital radio and keyless entry.

All versions are equipped with twin dash-mounted touchscreens that include a range of downloadable applications courtesy of Infiniti’s In Touch system – they allow passengers to use one screen to control entertainment and comfort settings, with the driver seeing controls for the various other driver assistance systems such as satellite navigation.

Other entry-level kit includes LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, tyre pressure monitoring and a selection of drive modes to choose from, including a personalised option.

The ‘S’ specification bumps up wheel diameters to 18 inches on the diesel, while the entry-level hybrid gains an extra inch, taking the rims out to 19s.

S versions also get adaptive steering with lane-keep assistance, a sports suspension system, steering wheel paddle-shifts for the gearbox, a Bose sound system, sunroof and sport front bumper.

The Direct Adaptive Steering (DAS) was developed with help from Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel, and is the world’s first steer-by-wire system, allowing the driver to customise its feel.

Top-spec S Premium versions of the Hybrid have a traction advantage with four-wheel drive, diesels are upgraded to the largest 19-inch rims and both engine variants get active cruise control with collision avoidance, blind-spot monitoring, 360-degree camera view and self-dipping headlights that peer around corners.

Infiniti is claiming another world first with its Forward Collision Warning system that can avoid a crash into the car in front by monitoring not just the vehicle ahead, but the one in front of it.

Infiniti Motor Company president Johan de Nysschen said he was confident the newest addition to the stable would be well received.

“This exciting new Infiniti Q50 stretches the boundaries of what a sports-sedan can be, propelling Infiniti in a bold new direction,” he said.

2014 Infiniti Q50 pricing*

2.2d GT (a)	$51,900
2.2d S (a)	$57,900
2.2d S Premium (a)	$61,900
Hybrid S (a)	$67,900
Hybrid S Premium (a)	$73,900

*Excludes on-road costs.