This week I have been behind the wheel of a pre-production 2020 Infiniti Q50, a sporty sedan from the luxury division of Nissan. For 2020, Infiniti has upgraded the infotainment and climate controls, and changed the models you can choose from, but otherwise it has pretty much stayed the same.
My tester is the 3.0t Edition 30 and has a 3-liter V6 with twin turbochargers. It is mated with a 7-speed automatic transmission that you can shift from paddles on the steering wheel. It puts out 300-horses, 295 pound-feet of torque, and this one is all-wheel drive.
For 2020, there are eight different models, six of them with the 300-horse engine and there are also two models of the Red Sport 400, which features a 400-horse V6.
The Q50 is long and wide and sits low to the ground like most luxury sport sedans. It has distinctive lines, front and rear spoilers, 19” wheels, and LED headlights and daytime running lights. I find the Q50 to be a very attractive car.
As you would expect, the interior of this car is luxurious with a nice blend of leather and carbon fiber. There is stitching throughout the dash and door panels, and the steering wheel. The front seats are comfortable and have bolsters to keep you in your seat when you go into a hard cornering maneuver.
The large tachometer and speedometer are easy to read and colorful, and there is a programmable driver info screen between them.
The center console is nice-sized and carbon fiber surrounds the gearshift and flows into the center stack, it looks terrific.
Infiniti uses a dual screen setup. The upper screen operates the navigation system and 360-degree camera and operates from a round knob just below the gearshift. Also, there is the drive mode selector that allows you to choose from Personal, Sport, Standard, Eco, and Snow.
Credit: INFINITI
The lower screen is touchscreen and operates the stereo, Bluetooth, the car’s settings, and a host of apps. You can now get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, there is a Wi-Fi hotspot built-in, SiriusXM, a host of real-time info including: weather, movie listings, stock reports, fuel prices, sports scores, and traffic info. It also has a good performing voice activation system.
Below the bottom screen, you’ll only find one knob for the stereo volume, and to the sides of the screens are your climate controls. Everything is simple to operate and understand, and I like being able to display the navigation map and traffic without having to delete it to change radio stations.
As with most mid-sized sedans, the back seat room is fairly cramped unless the front seats are pretty far forward. Back seat headroom is limited due to the swooping roofline of the Q50. Trunk space is good and the rear seats fold down.
The Edition 30 comes with no options, but has a nice list of standard features including the 19” wheels, rearview camera, heated power seats, power moon roof, pushbutton start, keyless entry, tilt wheel, Bluetooth, voice activation, keyless remote start, rear door alert, and two USB ports.
Also standard equipment is a host of safety features. Most notable are adaptive cruise control, distance control assist, hill start assist, front and rear parking sensors, blind spot warning, forward emergency braking, and forward collision warning.
Fuel economy is good, coming in at 20 in town and 29 on thehighway. MSRP is $46,725, which is OK when compared to other sedans in its class.
For me, this is not an overly exciting car. Acceleration is fairly good when in Sport Mode, but it is missing some features I would expect for the price, like power trunk closing, cooled seats, and a better stereo. All-in-all, it is a solid, well-built car, that is quiet inside and rides well.