SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get at home.

Unlike most car reports, what you read in these pages will not be a faithful reproduction, albeit slightly reworded, of what appeared in the manufacturer's press release. We look for background material, user experience and whatever else we can find that's beyond the obvious. Our guiding rule is that you will be able to tell that the car was actually driven.

*To read one of our archived road tests, just select from the alphabetical menu of manufacturers' names on the left. Hover your cursor over the manufacturer's name, then choose from the drop-down menu that appears.

*Pre-owned: Our tests go back quite a few years, so if you are looking for something pre-owned, you might well find a report on it in here.

*Please remember too, that prices quoted are those ruling at the time the reports were written.


We drive Infiniti’s muscular mid-size hybrid, the 2014 Q50S

Pics supplied

Posted: 25 October 2014

Bedevilled by details

Infinity: Beyond imagination; an endless loop; a classy brand of hi-fi speakers; an imaginary point-that-isn’t-a-point, but beyond which no being has ever been.
Infiniti: Nissan’s endeavour toward the ultimate in automotive sophistication and design, the company’s riposte to Toyota’s Lexus, its sporty challenge to the dominance of BMW’s mid-size sedans.

The brand has been around, albeit fairly low-key, since 1989. At one point it lost its way with overweight cars and almost sank into oblivion, but began a turnaround in the early 2000s.

Infiniti moved its global headquarters from Yokohama in 2012 to incorporate in Hong Kong as Infiniti Global Limited. Chairman Carlos Ghosn wanted the brand to place greater focus on mainland China’s burgeoning upscale economy, as he foresaw it becoming the biggest luxury car market of all.

The company produces a range of models using four engines; a 2.0-litre turbopetrol sourced from Mercedes-Benz, a 2.2 diesel from the same supplier, a 3.7-litre Nissan petrol motor and a 3.5-litre version of the same engine, coupled with an electric motor. We drove the 4x2, rear-wheel drive, version of this hybrid.

Having used the ‘L’ word earlier, it sort of begs comparison with the other brand’s 3.5-litre, electrically assisted, GS450h doesn’t it? That car’s 3456 cc engine develops 218 kW and 368 Nm and is coupled to a 147 kW/275 Nm electric motor. Our test car’s Nissan VQ35HR engine displaces 3498 cc, produces 225 kilowatts/350 Nm and works together with a 50 kW/270 Nm battery powered device. Both cars are pretty energetic, covering the zero-to-100 km/h sprint in less than six seconds. Actually, the Infiniti beats the pants off the Lexus, doing it eight-tenths of a second quicker.

But in case you had the idea, for some reason, that this Infiniti’s engine might be a little under-gutted consider this: It’s the same motor that powered the 2007-2009 Nissan 350Z. That was rated just 3 kW and 13 Nm higher so let’s show a little respect, please? Putting it down to earth is an electronically controlled seven-speed automatic with stick-controlled manual override - or paddles if you prefer them. The box does everything it should do; smoothly, promptly, unfussed and without screaming. No adverse comment there.

But horsepower alone isn’t what the Infiniti Q50S is about; there’s luxury, safety, performance, decent economy and all the electronic wizardry that Harry P and The Dark Lord ever dreamed about. Unlike the Toyota system in which the two motors operate independently with the electric job starting things going and fossil fuel taking over, the Infiniti’s is more Honda-like; the electric spinner works in tandem with  the petrol engine.

One motor, two clutches, they call it – the engines interconnect seamlessly. The petrol unit provides thrust whenever it’s needed, but the electric one is capable of keeping things going under light load once inertia has been overcome. That means, if you are gentle with the right foot and there’s no yuppie in an SUV hassling you to get going, right now, because he’s in a hurry, you could do much of your city driving on electric power alone. It’s good for a comfortable 60 km/h in light city traffic and can keep going under favourable conditions at 100- to 120 km/h on freeways too. Your Prius or Auris HSD is only good for battery power up to about 55 km/h.

Like other hybrids, the start-up procedure is quite eerie. Toss the key fob anywhere convenient, place foot on brake pedal, release the elderly-Mercedes-style parking brake (foot-op) and hit the starter button. Tacho and speedo needles swing silently across to maximum then back to zero. But nothing happens. Deathly silence reigns. Pull the selector into Reverse or Drive and the car eases into motion. There is no starter motor as such – the electric motor is the starter. If you aren’t in a hurry, you could (theoretically) drive to work on electric power alone, but the petrol engine switches in immediately it’s needed.

In real life, off-peak city driving, the engine will cut in and out as needed, returning average fuel consumption around 10.3 litres per hundred kilometres. For a fairly heavy car with a 3.5-litre V6, that’s pretty impressive. Your average luxury vehicle uses 14- to 20 litres per hundred under similar conditions. 

Suspension consists of single-pivot, double wishbones up front with coils over shocks and a stabiliser bar. Multi-links, coil springs and dual flow-path dampers support the other end. Ignoring the technicalities, it’s sure footed, stable and comfortable, if a little firm. What you do not get is the harsh and wooden-feeling twitchiness of some competitors. A further facet of the Q50’s sure-footedness is balance. The engine centre line is slightly behind the front axle and the motor is placed as close as possible to the firewall for almost 50:50 mass distribution. Then effective aerodynamics reduce its Cd to 0.26 with almost-zero front and rear lift.

Another part of Infiniti’s charm is its direct adaptive steering technology. Also called ‘steer-by-wire’, the system translates the driver’s steering wheel movements to the wheels electronically, as opposed to using a traditional mechanical steering linkage. The system provides electronic control of the Q50's tire angle and steering inputs, transmitting the driver's intentions to the wheels faster than mechanical steering.

This increases direct driving performance feel by quickly and intelligently communicating road surface feedback to the driver. It also allows him or her to personalise steering effort and steering gear ratio according to personal preferences and road situations. It works; very well. A mechanical steering system, separated by means of a clutch, provides backup.

You want to know about safety kit, features and toys. Here we go then, starting outside: automatically levelling, auto-on, LED headlamps with daytime running lamps; folding, heated mirrors with reverse synchronisation and built-in indicator repeaters; LED fog lights front and rear and LED tail lamps.

Moving inside and ignoring trim details, the multi-function steering wheel adjusts for rake and reach electrically; warmed, leather-faced, sporty front seats with under-thigh extenders are both electrically adjustable (two memory settings each, plus height adjustment), with the driver gaining powered lumbar and side bolster adjustments. Music is taken care of with a single-CD radio with six speakers, automatic noise cancelling, USB and RCA plugs for auxiliary kit and Bluetooth for streaming and connectivity. Navigation and a 14-speaker Bose premium sound system are part of a R30 800 optional package.

A pair of touch screens and a further five-inch display keeps users in touch with time, driving economy and the standard sound system;  parking sensors and camera; the five-way drive mode selector; user settings and Infiniti In-Touch connectivity. Unfortunately, graphics on the upper screen handling time, eco performance and fuel economy were apparently farmed out to the lowest-cost bidder. They’re pretty cheap ‘n dreadful and spoil the car’s aspiration to greatness. But it’s much less expensive than the hybrid Lexus, so perhaps one could forgive?

Apart from the expected dual-zone and filtered air conditioning, powered windows, proximity locks, push-button starting, follow-me lights, voice recognition technology, repeater vents at the rear, automatic stop and start, hill holder and rain sensing wipers, there’s a device that provides exterior motor car sounds for the benefit of pedestrians who don’t realise you’re trundling along on electric power alone. No excuses, then.

Safety and performance equipment includes six airbags, ABS brakes with BA, EBD, traction control, vehicle dynamic control, lane keeping assistance, cruise control with speed limiter, regenerative braking, tyre pressure monitoring, sports suspension and active trace control. This is what other manufacturers call cornering brake control; it brakes either inner or outer wheels to optimise your line through turns. It is reduced in Sport mode, can be turned off in Personal mode and disengages when VDC is deselected.

Unfortunately, not all is quite perfect: The 346 volt, lithium-ion battery under the boot floor steals four cubic feet or 113 litres of loading space, while seatback tipping and the ski slot are deleted on hybrids. In defence of its boot, the lid works on a gas strut-supported cantilever system completely outside the cavity so there is nothing to get in the way of luggage.

Rear seat accommodation for tall passengers is compromised with limited head- and foot room and just enough knee space. Although three belts and head restraints are provided, a high transmission tunnel means ‘little kids only’ in the centre position. And like it or not, all Q50s use run-flat tyres, so there is no spare.

To summarise: The Q50S hybrid is a brilliant drivers’ car, is satisfyingly powerful yet economical for its size, has pretty much all the gadgetry anyone could want and is good value for money by today’s standards. It’s just a pity about some of the details.

Test car from Infiniti SA press fleet

The numbers
Price: R585 000
Engine: 3498 cc, quad-cam, 24-valve V6
Power: 225 kW at 6800 rpm
Torque: 350 Nm at 5000 rpm
Electric motor: Nissan HM34. 50 kW at 1650 rpm and 270 Nm between 1650 and 2000 rpm
Combined Output: 261 kW/546 Nm
Zero to 100 km/h: 5.1 seconds
Maximum speed: 250 km/h (limited)
Real life fuel consumption: About 8.3 l/100 km
Tank: 70 litres
Boot: 255 litres
Dealers in RSA: Four - at Hatfield, Melrose, Cape Town and Pinetown
Warranty and maintenance plan: 5 years/100 000 km

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.

Comments?
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