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Q60 Coupe and Q30S Hatch Show Infiniti Has Gone All-Turbo in Geneva

The Q60 is Infiniti's idea of a BMW 4 Series rival, while the Q30S competes with the Audi A3. They can't have anything in common, can they? In fact, they do, as both models prove the Japanese luxury brand has gone all-turbo.
2016 Infiniti Q60 and Q30S 27 photos
Photo: Guido ten Brink / SB-Medien
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We caught our first glimpse of this move in February when the Q50 and Q60 got full engine ranges consisting of 2.0 and 3.0 turbo mills. The only naturally aspirated car on the floor of the Chicago Auto Show was the hybrid model. Infiniti may now be the company with the widest and most exciting powertrain lineup in the US luxury car market.

That's not really the case in Europe, where all luxury models were turbocharged. Instead of a big V6, the Q60 coupe made its European debut wearing the 2.0t badge. That means it's packing the same kind of engine as the recently revealed Mercedes C-Class Coupe, thanks to a partnership between the two automakers.

Sporting bright red paint and sharply defined lines, the Q50's two-door brother is undeniably one of the most beautiful cars at the Geneva Motor Show. However, for customers in markets like the UK or Germany, the Q30 is a lot more appealing.

Even though it's the S model with lowered suspension, the crossover look is still noticeable. It too comes with a Mercedes-derived 2.0-liter turbo engine, mounted longitudinally inside its A-Class platform. Even the AWD system and twin-clutch gearbox are shared with the Germans.

Inside or outside, it doesn't quite have the "bite the back of your hand" beauty of the Q60. The dashboard is especially problematic, as anybody can see the Mercedes buttons and knobs. However, that may not be enough to stop it from being successful.

When Infiniti arrived in the UK back in 2009, it tried to tempt buyers with V6 and V8 engines, sometimes even RWD SUVs. It didn't work, and Infiniti sales were comparable to Aston Martin's. However, the Q30 is different because it's designed and built in Britain, which is likely to become its biggest market. If you're not into the 2.0-liter turbo engine, you can also have it with a 2.2-liter diesel in two stages of tune or a 1.6-liter gasoline turbo unit. Regarding trunk size, it's smaller than the A3 but bigger than the A-Class and BMW 1 Series.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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