Infiniti Q50 gets V6 turbo

Infiniti's answer to the BMW 3 Series, the Q50 medium sedan, has had a mechanical and spec refresh just two years after landing in Australia.

The big news is a new twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 that comes in two models, the low-output Q50 3.0tt Sport Premium and the range-topping, high-output Q50 3.0tt Red Sport.

The Q50 3.0tt Red Sport offers 298kW at 6400rpm of power and shovels out 475Nm over 1600-5200rpm, while the Q50 3.0tt Sport Premium delivers 224kW at 6400rpm and 400Nm of torque at the same revs as the Red Sport.

Combined cycle fuel figures are quoted at 9.2L/100km for the 3.0tt Sport Premium and 9.3L/100km for the 3.0tt Red Sport. The emissions figures are 212g/km for the 224kW model and 214g/km for the 298kW version.

The Red Sport's 298kW V6 gets more than just a flash-tune for its 30 per cent power jump over the 224kW Sport Premium

The 298kW engine has a turbine speed sensor, 14.7psi of boost pressure (224kW: 9.5psi), dual water pumps instead of a single water pump and a unique exhaust mid-pipe design.

The 298kW model also comes with a shorter 3.1:1 final drive ratio compared to the 224kW car's 2.9:1 ratio.

Going against the norm for performance cars, Infiniti has not released any acceleration figures for the Q50s powered by the new VR30 engine.

Infiniti says the VR30 engine has a new direct-injection fuel system that allows more precise fuel injection into the combustion chamber and features an engine block spray bore coating for improved efficiency.

The integrated cylinder-heads/exhaust manifolds make the engine lighter, dissipate heat better and position the catalytic converter closer to the exhaust entry point for shorter flow of exhaust gases, allowing the catalytic converter to heat up twice as fast as previous V6 engines, according to Infiniti.

A new turbine speed sensor permits the twin-turbo system to spin up to 220,000rpm with bursts up to 240,000rpm.

The intercooler is water-cooled, which Infiniti says quickly cools air for when it reaches the turbos, reducing turbo lag and size, via a shorter flow path for air. A new electronic wastegate actuator allows closer control of exhaust gas flow away from the turbocharger, restricting the amount of exhaust gas flowing through the unit to improve overall engine efficiency.

Meanwhile, the entry-level Q50 GT gets an equipment boost with Around View Monitor (AVM), Moving Object Detection (MOD; when reversing), Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS), High Beam Assist (Auto High/Low Beam) and Direct Adaptive Steering (DAS) with Active Lane Control (ALC) now standard.

Direct Adaptive Steering 2.0, a new second-generation version of the electro-mechanical steering set-up, now gives more personalisation options for steering response and feel, and revised software that Infiniti claims improves feedback from the road.

Infiniti's new Dynamic Digital Suspension (DDS) is standard on the Q50 3.0tt Sport Premium and Q50 3.0tt Red Sport and constantly adjusts shock absorber valves within a wide range of damping force to control body motion when cornering. It monitors body roll, pitch and bounce rate to keep body motion in check.

All Q50s have run-flat tyres and alloy wheel size ranges from 17-inch for Q50 2.0t GT models to 19-inch on the Q50 Sport Premium and Red Sport.

Sport Premium and Red Sport models have a power glass sunroof as standard, with the feature an option on all S model grades.

The Q50 Red Sport 400 includes red 'S' badging, unique exhaust outlets and a black spoiler.

For the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6-powered Q50 model variants, scheduled servicing intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, and all Q50s are covered by a four-year/100,000km warranty.

2016 Infiniti Q50 pricing (plus ORCs):
Q50 2.0t GT -- $53,900
Q50 2.0t Sport Premium -- $61,900
Q50 2.2d GT -- $54,900
Q50 2.2d Sport Premium -- $62,900
Q50 3.5h Sport Premium (RWD) -- $72,900
Q50 3.5h Sport Premium (AWD, order only) -- $74,900
Q50 3.0tt Sport Premium (224kW) -- $69,900
Q50 3.0tt Red Sport (298kW) -- $79,900