Infiniti Q60S 3.0

Sport Tech

Infiniti Q60S, front
Infiniti Q60S, side
Infiniti Q60S, side
Infiniti Q60S, front
Infiniti Q60S, front
Infiniti Q60S, front
Infiniti Q60S, side
Infiniti Q60S, rear
Infiniti Q60S, sat nav
Infiniti Q60S, interior
Infiniti Q60S, interior
Infiniti Q60S, rear
Infiniti Q60S, rear
Infiniti Q60S, rear
Infiniti Q60S, interior

SOMETIMES it takes a prompt from a couple of neighbours and the local postie to confirm the car parked on the driveway is a little bit of a looker and that's exactly how things panned out when I was supplied with a super sleek Infiniti Q60S.

On day one I was given a passing thumbs-up by a neighbour who has a keen interest in cars and before delivering my day's household bills later in the week, the postman also offered a brief, yet observant comment: "That looks a bit special - is it a posh Nissan?"

"Yes" and "Yes" were my replies and then I proceeded to give him a quick guided tour of the Infiniti car which, as he correctly pointed out, is the premium arm of Nissan.

The reason this particular Infiniti was such an attention grabber initially is down to its athletic styling and striking muscular profile. The fact that it boasted brilliant red paintwork simply added to the appeal.

Other eye-catching features of this two-door sports coupe included 19-inch dark chrome alloys with red brake callipers, twin tailpipes, LED headlights with daytime running lights, tinted windows, muscular haunches, a sloping roof, rising waistline and a wide black grille housing the Infiniti emblem.

Move inside and the interior is ultra-modern and oozes premium styling thanks to the leather upholstery and array of on-board technology.

Features include the likes of Infiniti's InTouch set-up which is accessed via two touchscreens and is exceptionally easy to use. It allows you to connect to all sorts of systems including music, sat nav, maps, phone, numerous apps and climate control.

These screens are smart and intuitive yet not over-complicated so if you want to increase the temperature you only press one button, or if you want to change radio stations it's two presses.

Additional on-board technology includes a Comfort Pack with front and rear parking sensors and a display, a Visibility Pack with around view monitor and moving object detection, a leather multi-function sports steering wheel, ambient lighting, heated seats and a 13-speaker BOSE sound system.

The Infiniti Q60S, costing £47,235 (£48,325 with specialist paint), was powered by a six cylinder 3.0-litre 405ps petrol engine and that meant plenty of impressive performance stats with a 0-62mph sprint time of just 5.0 seconds and top speed of 155mph.

And when it comes to economy the Q60S can deliver combined fuel efficiency of 30.1mpg with carbon emissions of 208g/km.

Comfort levels within the car are excellent, especially up front where it's quick and easy to find a perfect driving position, sink back into the sports seats and prepare for a lengthy road trip - the longer, the better.

There are two individual rear seats, but like all coupe models, the legroom is a tad limited and the sloping roof design of the car means head room is also restricted in the back.

But the Q60 is all about driving performance and it delivers on every count - well almost. The acceleration through the seven-speed automatic gearbox is super slick with steering wheel-mounted paddles if you fancy taking a little more control.

There are driving modes called Snow, Eco, Standard, Sport, Sport+ and Individual to toggle through and the intelligent all-wheel-drive system will keep the car firmly planted no matter how eagerly you attack a tight bend.

These are all massive plus factors in favour of the car, but for me the Direct Adaptive Steering which is a steer-by-wire system designed to deliver rapid and accurate responses, takes some getting used to. Two or three times I found it a little jittery and only really became comfortable with its light feedback after a while behind the wheel.

But that aside, the Q60S was a delight to throw around. The power is relentless and the all-round response is most impressive.

There are plenty of handy storage compartments scattered throughout the cabin and the boot has a capacity of 342 litres.

The Q60 also boasts a comprehensive range of safety features and driver aids to help prevent accidents. All in all, the Infiniti Q60S is quite the all-round package.

FAST FACTS

Infiniti Q60S 3.0 Sport Tech

Price: £47,235

Mechanical: 405ps, 2,997cc, 6cyl petrol engine driving four wheels via 7-speed automatic gearbox

Max Speed: 155mph

0-62mph: 5.0 seconds

Combined MPG: 30.1

Insurance Group: 39

C02 emissions: 208g/km

Bik rating: 37%

Warranty: 3yrs/60,000 miles

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