Ken Gratton•26 Apr 2013
NEWS
SHANGHAI MOTOR SHOW: Infiniti cues Q50 Hybrid
Local arm is keeping quiet about it, but the Q50 Hybrid is a possibility for AustraliaInfiniti has fronted up to the Shanghai motor show with the Q50 Hybrid variant, making its debut in Asia, as well as two new variants of Q50 previously unseen.
Powered by a 3.5 litre petrol V6 and featuring electric-motor assistance, the Q50 Hybrid is a better chance of being sold here than the long-wheelbase sedan and the QX50 crossover also on the Infiniti stand in China. But Peter Fadeyev, PR & Corporate Communications Manager for the brand, was giving nothing away when motoring.com.au spoke with him earlier this week.
"We haven't yet determined which models will be in the Australian catalogue," he explained. "The approach we're taking, as we have with our previous models, is to offer a very rich combination of standard equipment, with a very competitive price."
There's clearly a small but steadily growing market for prestige hybrids, even in Australia. BMW has a lock on that niche with its ActiveHybrid 3 and Lexus will roll out its IS 300h before the end of this year. Infiniti claims that the Q50 Hybrid should reach 100km/h from launch in around five seconds, which means it has the performance potential to complement the brand's M35h in the local range.
Our money's on the Q50 Hybrid coming here.
As for the long-wheelbase Q50 and the QX50 crossover, both are to be built in China from next year. Infiniti president Johan de Nysschen has already described the pair as vehicles "specifically designed for the Chinese market," indicating that they're unlikely to be sold elsewhere in the world – and certainly not as export products from China.
There is a recent history of European firms building long-wheelbase versions of mid-size cars to deliver the necessary rear-seat legroom required from chauffeur-driven clients in the Chinese market – but at some cost saving to the buyer. Citroen has joined Audi and Peugeot in developing stretched passenger cars exclusively for the massive Asian market. Such cars are normally built in a factory owned jointly by the western or Japanese firm and a local (Chinese) partner and are not sold outside China while domestic demand within the country remains high.
Manufacture of the stretched Q50 and the QX50 crossover will commence from 2014 in a plant operated by Dongfeng Motor Company at Xiangyang in China's Hubei province. On balance, it looks unlikely that either of the joint-venture Q50 variants would make it here.
But that's not to say that Infiniti wouldn't build the QX50 at another plant outside of China...
With a north/south engine mounting, and based on the Nissan Skyline platform, the QX50 would be a rival to BMW's strong selling X3. It's hard to see the QX50 remaining a China-only solution forever, in that context.
When it arrives in Australia later this year, the Q50 will offer Infiniti a four-door entrant to this market segment for the first time, pitting Infiniti directly against the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The current G37 two-door models will be replaced by two-door versions of Q50, but badged Q60, as we reported earlier this year.
Infiniti has got off to a slow start in the local market, as was expected, but the introduction of the Q50 here may just turn that around – and quickly.
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Written byKen Gratton
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalists
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