- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
3.5i/50kW Hybrid, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
318kW (comb), 270Nm
- Fuel
Hybrid (95) 7.2L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
4 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Infiniti Q50 Review: 2014 Hybrid S Premium AWD
Vehicle Style: Medium luxury sedan
Price: $73,400
Engine/trans: 268kW/546Nm 3.5 petrol 6cyl, electric motor | 7spd auto
Fuel Economy claimed: 7.2 l/100km | tested: 7.8 l/100km
OVERVIEW
With a little help from Formula 1 and Le Mans, the word “hybrid” is starting to shake its stigma as the preserve of hypermiling killjoys.
Slowly, but steadily, it's becoming a synonym for performance.
And much of that change is occuring in the luxury segment. While Lexus' hybrid focus is still on economy, BMW's 3 Series ActiveHybrid shows that “hybrid” and “performance” are not mutually exclusive.
Infiniti's own interpretation of a petrol-electric performance sedan is the Q50 Hybrid, and though there's no exciting 'R', 'GT' or 'Eau Rouge' suffix, it's got stats that should elevate your heartrate.
How does 5.4 seconds from zero to 100km/h sound? What about a top speed of 250km/h? How about achieving both in a car that consumes, on average, just 7.2 l/100km?
Of course, cars are about more than just raw numbers, so we took the range-topping Q50 Hybrid S Premium AWD for a week-long spin to check out its credentials.
THE INTERIOR | RATING: 3/5
- 10-way adjustable front seats, heated steering wheel, active cruise control, trip computer, front and rear parking sensors, around-view camera, power-adjustable steering column, dual-zone climate control with air purifier, rain-sensing wipers, dusk-sensing bi-xenon headlamps.
- Infotainment: 8” and 7” dual-LCD touchscreen displays with sat-nav, Bose premium audio system, digital radio tuner, active noise cancellation, Bluetooth telephony and audio streaming, two USB audio inputs.
- Boot capacity: 400 litres. No seats-down capability or ski port/passthrough.
Here's where the Q50 may win or lose hearts. Its interior is less organically-inspired than the bigger Q70 (a good thing in our opinion), but the design still lacks the simple elegance of its German rivals