Infiniti Q50 S Hybrid
What is it?
This is Infiniti’s attempt to attract business car buyers to the brand with a not-so-compact executive car to rival BMW’s 3 Series and Audi’s A4.
The design is suitably different from its German competitors, with complex curves and lines adorning a 4.8 metre long body. That translates to class leading space inside, especially in the rear.
Up front there’s a sweeping dashboard angled towards the driver with two touch screens. Apparently there are 90 different settings you can access through these panels, sure to appeal to the iPod generation.
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There are also two USB ports hidden away, allowing that iPod to be plugged in while leaving a spare to charge a smartphone.
Under the bonnet there’s now the option of a Mercedes-sourced 2.1 litre turbo diesel engine that, from the inside at least, is quiet and refined.
With CO2 emissions as low as 114g/km, that brings the company car tax rate down to just 17% for the 2013/14 tax year. With a starting price of £27,950, that could make a tempting proposition.
However, our Infiniti Q50 review car is the powerful S Hybrid, with its 3.5 litre petrol engine and linked electric motor, just a few tax bands above at 20%.
This offers an unrivalled combination of performance and economy; the 364PS output thrusts the car from zero to sixty in just 5.1 seconds, while returning a combined mpg figure of 45.6. Driving round the steep mountain roads near Barcelona, we averaged an impressive 36.2mpg, so would expect a cruise along the M1 to improve on that.