GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Infiniti QX30 previewed

Infiniti has revealed the first full glimpse of its QX30, which will challenge the likes of the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 and attempt to attract new Australian buyers to Nissan’s struggling luxury brand.

Sitting 30mm taller than the Q30 hatch, the new QX30 SUV concept shares its sibling’s Mercedes A-Class platform and is expected to be offered with a mixture of efficient turbocharged petrol and diesel engines.

Backing up those SUV looks, the small front-wheel drive QX30 crossover will also come with the option of all-wheel drive.

Designed to “cut through the urban clutter and rigidity”, the QX30 has been created, says Infiniti’s design boss Alfonso Albaisa, to reflect a “go-anywhere and spur-of-the-moment nature”.

That’s why the QX30 has an aluminium-trimmed front bumper plus plenty of lower body cladding and a tough skid plate at the rear, allowing owners to drive in or out of the city without “worrying about nicks to the paintwork”

Running on huge 21-inch alloys, the small crossover's design is also supposed to accentuate an “athletic structure”, while the body’s deep upward cuts and intersecting contours are meant to mimic Infiniti’s trademark “dual wave” design language.

Even the humble roof racks are said to have been created as a sculpture for passengers to admire through the full-length panoramic roof.

“The QX30 Concept design conveys a sophisticatedly gritty sense of strength and durability, but tough doesn’t mean rough. We’ve retained a sense of artistry throughout,” said Albaisa.

In any case, both the Q30 and QX30 are fundamental for a sales breakthrough Down Under, where both models are expected in 2016.