Geneva show: Infiniti refreshes Q50 range

INFINITI has used the Geneva motor show to preview its updated Q50 mid-size sedan range, with a minor tweak to styling, changing the nomenclature of its variants, and debuting the brand’s ProPilot semi-autonomous driving technologies.

To the naked eye exterior changes are hard to spot, but the front fascia has received a mild rework including a revised lower air intake, tweaked fog-lamp clusters and updated headlights.

Tail-lights have also been revised to look more like those fitted to the Q60 coupe, while the chrome strip on the bottom of the boot lid has been removed and, for sportier variants, a body-coloured rear diffuser has been included.

The naming conventions for the Q50 range have also been rearranged, with the line-up now consisting of Pure, Luxe, Sport and Red Sport for the range-topping 298kW 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 variant.

As with the exterior, interior updates are only subtle, and include a redesigned steering wheel and shift paddles, synthetic leather with double stitching on the dashboard, new wood veneer designs, revised gear shift knob and new seats that Infiniti says provides better back support.

Red Sport variants also get red stitching, quilted side inserts on the seats, aluminium dashboard trim and matte chrome finish for the dashboard dials.

The new Q50 will be the first Infiniti model to feature the ProPilot driver assistance technologies, with Infiniti president Roland Krueger explaining that the best-selling vehicle in Infiniti’s stable was the most appropriate to debut the new system.

“As Infiniti’s best-selling model, the Q50 has always embodied our commitment to make driver-empowering technologies accessible to a large number of customers,” he said.

“The new model will let customers benefit from the latest advances in active safety with our ProPilot driver support technologies.”

Technologies featured in the ProPilot suite include direct adaptive steering, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, distance control assist, rear cross-traffic assist, blind spot warning and intervention, active lane control, forward emergency braking and predictive forward collision warning.

All powertrains remain unchanged, from the four-cylinder petrol and diesel units in the base level models, to the twin-turbo and hybrid V6s at the top of the range.

The new model will be rolled out globally in the second quarter of this year, however, its Australian arrival is not yet confirmed.

Last year the Q50 sold 287 units in total, trailing Lexus rivals such as the IS (1594) and ES (291) and well short of segment heavy-hitters like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (6816), BMW 3 Series (3975) and Audi A4 (2963). In the first two months of 2016 Infiniti sold 39 examples.