Infinity Q70 Premium 2.5 V6 Review: Infiniti and beyond

What we like:

Curvaceous exterior body that trumps other cars in this segment.

What we dislike:

Sensitive electronic nannies. 18-inch alloys that don’t pair well with that gorgeous body.

Modestly equipped with a 2.5-litre Nissan derived V6, the large sedan is tuned for comfort than all out pace. The 219bhp sedan gets up to speed at a stately pace but does so in supreme comfort but has enough torque (253Nm @ 4,800rpm) to get it off the line to 100kmh in 9.2 seconds.

Despite having a normal torque converter automatic, the Q70 cruises with silky gear changes from the 7-speed transmission. One more than the Lexus GS250. However Infiniti has chosen to opt out of the paddle shift community which means manual shifting is only available via the gear lever. But why would you? When the automatic does such a great job.

Like the McLaren 12C we reviewed not too long ago, the Infiniti comes with an electric-hydraulic hybrid steering to retain the feel of a hydraulic while being efficient. The steering feels smooth throughout the range but slow due to its low gearing which demands significantly more effort when taking a series of bends. But being a rear wheel drive, the nose feels positive and eager to clip the apex when entering the bend.

The electronic nannies also seem much more sensitive than others as entering a bend with greater speed than normal would see the car slam on its brakes to prevent cornering at excessive speeds.

Exuberant driving aside, the Q70 is supremely comfortable when cruising around and has excellent damping from all four corners of the car. Every bump is significantly slowed and controlled by the well-tuned dampers to achieve a plush ride.

Perhaps its entry into our mid-size luxury market might be slow but the Q70 has definitely made an impression with its commendable build quality and overwhelming ride quality.

It is proof that Lexus isn’t the only Japanese make that’s capable of producing a decent luxury sedan.

Credits: Story and Photos by Benjamin G. Kline