If there was a cookbook for car design, the Infiniti QX30 would be one of those fusion cuisine recipes that blend a range of very different styles to get a very delicious new whole.  This is a cross-over vehicle, and it’s a cross between an SUV and a sports coupé – I think.  The exterior styling certainly looks rather SUV-ish, although there’s a touch of the roadster in there, thanks to the silhouette of the roofline and the rear sills (the latter are very distinctive and are some of the chrome features built into the exterior styling).  One thing’s for certain: it’s one of a kind but not in an ugly way, unlike some experimental exterior styles we’ve seen over the years.

Of course, looks aren’t everything, although they certainly make the Infiniti QX30 stand out from the crowd.  Any decent vehicle has to have a decent engine to match.  The decent engine in question is a versatile mid-range 4-cylinder 2-litre petrol unit that gets the power curve peaking at 155 kW at 5500 rpm and the torque peaking (if you can call it a peak when the top is flat – a plateau, maybe?) at 350 Nm at 1200–4000 rpm.  As befits a vehicle that has a bit of SUV in its makeup, the drivetrain is all-wheel drive, although the Infiniti QX30 looks too nice to take into serious off-roading conditions.  It will, however, give that extra bit of ability and stability, along with the hill start assistance, dynamic vehicle control, ABS brakes, ESP, traction control and EBD.  Seven-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and the three-function drive mode selection (normal, sport and economy) help make the Infiniti QX30 fun to drive.

A luxurious crossover between a zippy city and an SUV is likely to appeal to families in slightly higher income brackets (I’m thinking of my cousin, who it would suit to a T).  This is probably why the Infiniti QX30 has safety features galore.  These safety features consider those outside the car with the pedestrian protection hood as well as those inside it with, well, everything.  “Everything”, in the case of the base model Infiniti QX30 AWD GT, starts with basics like ISOFIX child seat preparation and seven airbags and goes on to hill start assistance, a forward collision warning system with forward collision braking and rear parking sensors.  The Infiniti QX30 AWD Premium adds in a bit more, such as traffic sign recognition, intelligent park assistance, around-view monitoring with motion detection, lane departure warning, front parking sensors and blind spot monitoring/warning.

Now, if you’re going to cart the kids around in style, which the Infiniti QX30 is designed to do, you need a good entertainment system, at least until they’re old enough for hand-held technology of their own (or if they’re not near a Wifi hotspot).  To cater to the handheld devices that need charging, there’s two USB ports, which also allow input into the 10-speaker Bose Premium sound system.  This sound system also links in with speed-sensitive volume control and active sound control.  Bluetooth connectivity, voice recognition for the phone and audio and Infiniti’s InTouch navigation system all come as standard and can be viewed on the 7-inch touchscreen display panel.  For those who like it low-tech, there are rear room lights… and don’t forget the manual single-zone climate control.  Go to the Premium edition and you get ambient lighting and some extra lights for the back seats (sounds trivial but very handy when you’ve got bored kids and it’s dark outside), a few more cupholders and heated front seats, to name a few.

Overseas model shown

If you’re hesitating between the Infiniti QX30 AWD GT and the AWD Premium, then the styling and trim may decide you.  The Premium variant is definitely the classier, with a bit more aluminium and a few wood insets around the interior, as well as puddle lamps on the exterior.  Both variants get the 18-inch alloy wheels with the Snowflake design, the rear roof spoiler and the LED headlights with daytime running lights.  Both also get the ECO stop-start system and the ability to use Infiniti InTouch apps, if you like that sort of thing.

All in all, the Infiniti QX30 is a very nice looking little beastie that is likely to be used as a rather upmarket Mum’s Taxi as well as being able to perform respectably when towing and heading up to the ski slopes, while looking good the entire time.  It’s a good all-rounder that has plenty to recommend it and manages to hit the Goldilocks sweet spot: not too much of anything but just right.

Current model series include:

• Infiniti QX30 AWD GT
• Infiniti QX30 AWD Premium

For any more information on the Infiniti QX30, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quotes requests out to our national network of Infiniti dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!