- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
3.0TT, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
298kW, 475Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 9.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
4 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2014)
2017 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport review
What is it?
It’s the flagship high-performance variant of Infiniti’s recently-updated luxury sedan; a turbo-charged, rear-drive, four-door that promises levels of performance similar to a BMW M3 for around a third of the price.
How much does it cost and what do you get?
The Q50 Red Sport sits at the top of the family tree, costing $79,990 (plus on-road costs) – considerably less than entry-level German sports sedans like the Mercedes-AMG C43, Audi S5 and BMW 340i.
Befitting its status, it comes fully loaded with leather trim including quilted sports seats with red stitching, dual-zone climate control, dual colour infotainment screens with sat nav and Bluetooth connectivity and a 16-speaker Bose audio system with active noise cancelling technology.
As part of the 2018 model update, the Q50 Red Sport picks-up new-design 19-inch alloy wheels, higher-grade Nappa leather, ambient interior lighting, a new three-spoke steering wheel, red brake calipers and revised front and rear bumpers with a more aggressive look.
All Infiniti models are covered by a four-year/ 100,000km warranty with pre-paid servicing schemes available for either one, two or three years.
What's under the bonnet?
The Q50 Red Sport is powered by an uprated version of Nissan’s venerable 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 that produces 298kW of power and 475Nm of torque. It drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed automatic and has a claimed average fuel consumption of 9.3L/100km.
What's it like to drive?
We’ve had mixed feelings about the Q50 in the past, and, considering there’s no major mechanical changes as part of this update, that hasn’t changed.
While it has the numbers – and plenty of fandangelry that sounds high-tech, like digital adaptive suspension and direct adaptive steering – it doesn’t gel as well as it should.
The engine has plenty of punch when you tap into its performance, but it all comes with such a rush that it can overpower the rear tyres. And it doesn’t sound all that inspiring when you do, with a hushed exhaust note that is drowned out by the whooshing turbo chargers.
The world-first by-wire steering doesn’t help counteract the twitchy dynamics either, as it lacks intimate feedback from the front wheels, and the lane keeping assistance system constantly adjusts itself to make the car fidgety, even at low speeds.
What's it like inside?
The cabin is a bit of a mixed bag too. The specific Red Sport elements, like the seats, are both comfy and supportive and look great too, and it feels well built with good quality materials.
The driving position is well-sorted with plenty of adjustment to suit most and the instruments are simple and clear to read. There’s also decent space in the rear and the 500L boot is on par with rivals in terms of luggage capacity.
But the dual-screen set-up for the infotainment is fiddly and while it looks like it promises a lot of functionality it misses out on the latest smartphone mirroring tech like Apple CarPlay and Andriod Auto.
Is it safe?
There’s a fairly comprehensive array of active safety features in the Q50, such as autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance, lane departure and forward collision warnings and blind spot monitoring.
Would I buy it?
The Q50 Red Sport looks great on paper and appears to be a lot of car for the money. And while it does undercut its direct rivals by a decent margin, the latest update doesn’t do much to improve its odd driving characteristics.
What else should I consider?
If you’re after a prestige performance car that’s reasonably affordable, then the Mercedes-AMG C43, Audi S5 sedan and BMW 340i all offer a mix of speed and luxury, although they cost a little more.
2018 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport Price and Specifications
Price: $79,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol
Power: 298kW at 6400rpm
Torque: 475Nm at 5200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Fuel use: 9.3L/100km