Infiniti Q60 2.0T review: £34k 4 Series rival driven

Which Infiniti is this?

This is the Infiniti Q60, a two-door coupe to rival the BMW 4 Series, Audi A5 and Mercedes C-Class. Or, if extrovert styling and a quirky nature are near the top of your car’s to-do list, the Lexus RC.

We’ve driven it overseas in 400bhp V6 form but now it’s over in the UK, we’ve driven the more easily attainable 2.0-litre petrol turbo. Prices start just under £34,000.

Is that reasonable?

On first impressions, I’d argue it’s a bit of a bargain. Styling is absolutely subjective, but I think it’s hard to argue against the Q60’s looks living above its price tag. People are surprised to find out how little it costs; it does a good impression of something more expensive.

It’s Infiniti’s most cohesive piece of design yet, its shape having enough drama to carry off the slashes and creases the firm’s always been good at giving its cars.

Inside, things fall back to the car’s natural price point. There’s lots of nice leather, comfy seats and more dramatic surfacing. But the clashing screens in the centre of the dashboard -  their designs look wilfully different and it’s hard to know which you should be looking at – and one of those utterly unsatisfying pedal-operated parking brakes stop the Q60 from outdoing its rivals. An A5 or C-Class coupe has a superior cabin.

And to drive?

It all depends what you’re after. The Q60 is far behind a 4 Series if it’s fun you’re seeking. That much is evident when the seat doesn’t drop low enough and the steering wheel doesn’t extend out enough. Unless you spec Sport trim, there aren’t any paddles for the seven-speed automatic gearbox, either.

Seconds later, as you pull away and experience its steering system (fully electronic, with no mechanical link between the wheel in your hands and the wheels at the front), it’s evident that the kind of feedback a BMW gives you is absent.

So while the Q60 grips well enough and has a nice balance to its chassis, it’s not a car that encourages you to go chasing its limits. It’s happy to be driven briskly, but it’s happier still to lope along at a comfy cruise.

And so will you be. It’s eerily quiet inside, the ride is among the plusher in its class (though it doesn’t like sudden ruts or potholes) and it’s just an easy-going car in which to cover long distances. You’ll know that’s faint praise if you came here hoping for a sports car, but if that’s not your bag, the Q60 might just suit you.

The engine is not a star. A 208bhp 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder from Mercedes, it drives the rear wheels only through a seven-speed automatic. Paddle-shifters might bring it to life a little, but we already know it’s an engine not keen on being revved, and it doesn’t make a hugely enjoyable noise when it does. Better to focus on being smooth and keeping acceleration relaxed.

It endows the Q60 with pretty brisk performance if you are in the mood, mind; a tad quicker than its 7.3-second 0-62mph time suggests, certainly. Top speed is 146mph.

What other engines can I have?

Just the 400bhp V6 turbo, which is probably pick of the range if you do enjoy driving. In the Q60, it’s hooked up to all-wheel drive (unlike the RWD Q50 S, which isn’t fantastic), and while the steering is still short on feel, nearly doubling the Q60’s power ought to perk things up.

There are no diesels, though. Infiniti’s small European sales mean it hasn’t bothered putting one in the Q60. We fear that will keep European sales small, and stop the Q60 from being any more than an interestingly styled oddity in a class of established Germans, whose market share has turbodiesels as its entire foundation.

So they’re still better coupes?

I’m afraid so. Infiniti is close to making some competitive cars, but ergonomic quirks inside and a lack of mainstream engine options beneath get in the way.

As does badge recognition. Plenty of people admired the Q60 in my time with it, and interest piqued, they asked what it was. “An Infiniti,” I’d say. “Who makes that then?” was their reply. At which point I discovered it isn’t easy to explain exactly what Infiniti offers.

“A bit like a Mercedes,” was often my fall back line. “Is it better?” they’d ask. The answer, if you hadn’t fathomed already, is no. If you’re smitten by the looks, though, the Q60 does deserve some attention.