Living with the Infiniti Q30

Can this really prove to be a rival to the Audi A3?

In terms of sales, it’s hard to see the Q30 as a success. But then, the entire Infiniti range sold under 3000 vehicles in 2016 – compare that to just the Audi A3 which sold 14 times as many. So, to drive an Infiniti Q30 is not exactly following the herd, and for some that is an attractive thought.

While you may be going your own way with this premium hatchback, there’s no question that the car will be looking after you on the way. Euro NCAP say this is the safest small family car on the market and it’s obvious why. You get seven airbags, lane departure warning, tyre pressure monitor and a raft of stuff behind the scenes like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and adaptive brake assist.

That’s a very reassuring list of kit to have at your disposal every time you venture out onto the roads. But we doubled down on it with a Safety Pack. For £1800 that adds blindspot warning system, automatic park assistance and adaptive cruise control. Not only that but the heated, lit, electrically adjustable mirrors have an around-view camera in them. Makes you wonder how there’s room to get into the thing with all of that on board.

But Premium Tech adds a lot of leather to the cabin as well as electrically adjustable heated front seats with lumbar support. Then we added InTouch so we have a full-on sat nav system, DAB radio and traffic sign recognition. Really, whatever we do, there is no excuse for getting lost or having an accident in this Q30.

What else does it have? Oh yes, an engine. They almost seem incidental these days don’t they? It has one of those, a 2.2-litre four-pot diesel, working with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto. Infiniti can’t be all that confident about this engine because the company has added yet more tech – in this case some noise cancelling technology. Is that because it’s noisy or because it doesn’t sound very good? Either way, the miles will tell.

Resplendent in Moonlight White, this is a very handsome car, and it looks that bit different to the more mainstream hatches. That’s a very good thing, and we’re looking forward to putting the miles on the clock and finding out if there is enough substance behind the looks. But first off we’ll need to refresh ourselves about how all that technology actually works.

Infiniti Q30 2.2d Premium Tech InTouch DCT
Price £31,700
Price as tested £33,500
Options Moonlight White paint £670, Safety Pack £1800
Economy 40.9mpg
Faults None
Expenses None

Graham Scott is a writer for AutoCar.