INFINITI has come up with some interesting designs in recent years in its attempt to build its way towards becoming one of the biggest premium car brands in the world.
But motorists in the UK may not be quite familiar with what this manufacturer is all about. This is largely because INFINITI is still relatively young in the UK's new car market.
Here’s our guide on what you need to know about INFINITI cars.
What company makes INFINITI cars?
INFINITI is the luxury sub-brand of Nissan. It serves a similar role to the one Lexus has under Toyota guideship. As is the case with most of the cars from BMW and Mercedes, INFINITI cars focus on having exterior and interior designs which exude premium quality, but sporty driving characteristics are also a priority. This is reflected in each model having at least one sport-themed specification with a tuned set-up to deliver a sharper drive.
Like with other premium brands, INFINITI offers hybrid technology on select models and fully-electric models are on the agenda for the brand’s long-term future. Sleeker models which put even greater emphasis on delivering a sporty driving experience are also evidently part of INFINITI’s future plans and concepts of future sports cars have been revealed in the recent past.
Where is INFINITI from?
INFINITI was originally founded by its owners Nissan and is therefore, like Nissan, a Japanese car maker.
Intriguingly though, when INFINITI was first founded in 1989 it began selling cars in the United States. After starting off with the American market in mind, INFINITI nowadays is a more global brand which operates dealers in over 15 countries.
While most INFINITI models are produced in Japan, certain factories in other nations including Russia and Britain also assemble INFINITI cars.
INFINITI latest models
While INFINITI has only been in the UK and other European markets for a handful of years, the brand’s line-up of cars has grown rapidly.
Saloons and crossover SUVs make up the majority of INFINITI’s range, but in very recent years the INFINITI car brand has looked to expand its appeal with an A3-sized hatchback and executive coupe.
Since 2013, INFINITI has had a naming strategy in place were crossover/SUV models start with “QX” in their name, while other types of cars remove the X and start with the designation “Q”.
The current line-up of new INFINITI cars you can buy in the UK market include the following:
Q30
One of the freshest cars in the INFINITI line-up, the Q30 is the luxury brand’s attempt at a premium hatchback. It serves as an intriguing alternative to the likes of the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, Mercedes A-Class and Volvo V40.
Intriguingly, the INFINITI Q30 is built at Nissan’s famous UK plant in Sunderland, yet it uses the same platform as the Mercedes A-Class.
Q50
The Q50 is INFINITI’s offering in the competitive compact executive saloon market segment.
One of the more established names in INFINITI’s range, the Q50 brings some unique design quirks to rival the likes of the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Jaguar XE.
Q60
Currently the sportiest offering in the INFINITI range, the Q60 is an executive coupe that rivals the likes of the BMW 4 Series and Audi A5 coupe.
As well as having a very distinctive look, the INFINITI Q60 is crammed with luxury technology. Among the INFINITI Q60 specs, buyers can choose one of two petrol engines - a 2.0-litre unit or a punchy V6.
Q70
The largest saloon offered by INFINITI, the Q70 is an alternative choice for those who want a sizable executive car but something different to the likes of the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class or Jaguar XF.
The Q70 saloon is offered with a diverse powertrain range featuring petrol units, diesels and a petrol-electric hybrid option too. Unlike its German rivals, virtually all the equipment you can get in the Q70 is a standard feature.
QX30
The INFINITI QX30 is essentially a stockier, crossover-style version of the Q30 hatchback. It’s built on the same platform as the Q30 and shares many of its styling cues, although the ride height is increased and some broader body panels are added to give the car a tougher SUV-vibe.
It still remains a premium vehicle, and the closest to being a direct rival would include the likes of the Volvo V40 Cross Country and Mercedes GLA-Class.
QX50
A small SUV, the INFINITI QX50 is the successor to an older SUV model called the EX. While it is designed to look sporty, the QX50 has virtually all the traditional characteristics of a typical SUV including a tall ride height and large diesel engines to choose from.
In a similar manner to other INFINITI cars like the Q70, the QX50 is very well equipped and virtually all features available are standard - something you don’t always get with premium SUVs and saloons.
QX70
The QX70 represents INFINITI’s current large SUV option. INFINITI previously named its large SUV the FX, but this was changed several years ago.
An alternative to other big SUVs like the Range Rover or Porsche Cayenne, the INFINITI QX70 places great emphasis on both luxury and power. Among the INFINITI QX70 specs, you can get a 3.7-litre V6 or even a 5.0-litre V8. Luxury SUVs in today’s new car market tend to lean more towards either pure comfort or agility and speed - and this INFINITI leans more towards the latter.