Infiniti overhauls Q30, QX30 line-ups

BY JUSTIN HILLIARD | 3rd Dec 2018

INFINITI Cars Australia has overhauled its mechanically related Q30 and QX30 small SUVs with an update that deletes two engine options, renames all variants and ushers in a small bump in standard equipment.

Two turbocharged four-cylinder units are gone, with the Q30 no longer available with the 115kW/250Nm 1.6-litre petrol and 125kW/350Nm 2.1-litre diesel. Instead, the carry-over 155kW/350Nm 2.0-litre petrol will exclusively motivate both models.

The Q30’s line-up has been trimmed from five variants to two, leaving the mid-spec Sport and flagship Sport Premium grades, which have been renamed Pure and Sport respectively.

This naming change has also been applied to the QX30 that has had its range halved to one variant, the flagship Premium, which is now known as the Sport.

Pricing for the returning but renamed variants has held steady, with the Q30 Pure and Sport starting from $44,900 and $52,900 before on-road costs respectively, while the all-wheel-drive QX30 Sport costs $4000 more than its front-wheel-drive counterpart.

However, Infiniti Cars Australia is offering the Sport grade with razor-sharp driveaway pricing until July 1 next year, with the Q30 and QX30 variants checking in at $46,888 and $49,888 respectively.

Additionally, a reversing camera and DAB+ digital radio are now standard equipment across both line-ups, having been previously unavailable as a factory option.

According to Infiniti Cars Australia managing director Guy Street, the Japanese brand has listened to customer feedback as it looks to help the Q30 and QX30 command a larger market share.

“The changes to the Infiniti Q50 and Q60 were received very positively by our customers, so we are excited to introduce similar updates to the Infiniti Q30 and QX30,” he said.

“The Infiniti Q30 and QX30 offer great value to those considering a premium small-car purchase and who want a high level of features in a luxury package.

“We’ve listened to the customer and focused on enhancing the Infiniti Q30, the Infiniti QX30 and the Infiniti brand based off this feedback.

“These cars deserve a higher market share, and we believe this range of changes give them every chance to succeed.”

Combined sales of the Q30 and QX30 have taken a significant hit this year, with 153 examples sold to the end of October – a 22.3 per cent decrease over the 197 deliveries made during the same period in 2017.

With a 1.1 per cent market share, the Q30 and QX30 are the least popular small SUVs in the $40,000-plus segment, trailing the Mercedes-Benz GLA (3387 units), BMW X1 (2634) and Audi Q3 (2062), among others.

Standard equipment in the Pure includes adaptive LED headlights, heated front seats, a leather-accented flat-bottom steering wheel, artificial leather/Alcantara upholstery, lane departure warning, high-beam assist and traffic sign recognition.

Stepping up to the Sport adds front-seat memory functionality, dual-zone climate control, a 10-speaker Bose sound system, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, park assist, surround-view cameras and front parking sensors.

The QX30 also features 19-inch alloy wheels, satin chrome-plated bumper inserts, satin chrome roof rails, comfort-tuned off-road suspension and comfort seats with adjustable head restraints.

Eight paintwork options are available, including no-cost Black Obsidian. Magnetic Red, Ink Blue, Majestic White, Black, Graphite Shadow, Blade Silver and Chestnut Bronze attract a $1200 premium.

2018 Infiniti Q30 pricing*