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.
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.