Four Seasons 2017 Infiniti QX30 Sport Introduction

Infiniti has taken the heart and bones of a Mercedes-Benz compact SUV and used them to make a cooler crossover. Really. If you line up Infiniti’s 2017 QX30 Sport with a recently redesigned 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA, with which it shares an engine, platform, and interior, the Infiniti is the sexier SUV.

Infiniti’s curvy crossover looks especially fetching from the front. It has narrow, hooded headlights, a wide double grille, bubbly bodywork, and a gently undulating hood. In comparison, the Mercedes looks blocky and bloated—the duller sibling in an oversized tracksuit.

From behind, the Mercedes fairs even worse, with bulky, trapezoidal taillights that are anything but sleek. The Infiniti offers a more graceful look, with taillights that wrap nicely around the car’s billowy hips, tapering off into a pair of ruby-red cat eyes.

There are other design flourishes, too. In profile, the Mercedes is boxy, while the QX30 zigzags aerodynamically from the roof to the chrome-tipped dual exhaust below. It’s this kind of small touch that makes the car look dynamic.

When it comes to power, however, the crossovers are neck and neck. They share the same Mercedes 2.0-liter, turbocharged, inline-four engine, which can be a bit weezy for a vehicle that checks in at 3,364 pounds. The I-4 churns out 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, and it is paired to a seven-speed automatic dual-clutch transmission with paddle shifters. The QX30 is a solid ride that shines in the ever-burgeoning crossover scene, though it is a more practical vehicle for school drop-offs and mall runs than it is for anything off-road. (There’s a 4WD version in other trims.)

We snagged a Sport version to add to our Four Seasons stable. This QX30 includes all the features of the luxury and premium trims, as well as 19-inch alloy wheels, sport seats, a lower suspension, and brakes with cross-drilled front rotors. The model starts at $38,500, but we checked additional boxes on our tester’s order sheet to include the leather package ($1,500), blind-spot warning, lane-departure warning, intelligent cruise control ($1,200), and an LED pack with an active front-lighting system and ambient lighting ($1,000).

There are plenty of other niceties, too, such as a panoramic moonroof and eight-way-adjustable power sport seats in carbon with creamy white trim. And the rear seats 60/40 split-folding layout offer 19.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, two more than the GLA.The driver’s seat is snug, and the Nappa leather-wrapped steering wheel feels luxe. The rest of the interior is nearly identical to the GLA’s, except for the touchscreen; Infiniti crammed its 7.0-inch InTouch display into the dash. The Mercedes’ elegant, floating screen wins out in the integration department. And this brings us to the most controversial aspect of the QX30: the color. The model is available in eight shades, and we received ours in Liquid Copper, a premium paint that adds another $500. The color selection has been the subject of some office debate. It appears coppery under most lighting conditions, but to many it recalls a throwback shade of metallic pink. (Think: ’80s valley girl lipstick.)

The new QX is already a popular ride in the office. We’ll definitely rack up significant mileage in the months ahead to determine whether this is just an average urban hauler or a good Mercedes-Benz alternative.

Our 2017 Infiniti QX30 Sport
Overview
PRICE	$39,495 (base), $43,695 (as tested)
ENGINE	2.0L turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4/208 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 1,200-4,000 rpm
TRANSMISSION	7-speed automatic
LAYOUT	4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD SUV
Chassis
CONSTRUCTION	Unibody
STEERING	Electrically assisted
LOCK–TO–LOCK	2.5 turns
TURNING CIRCLE	37.3 ft
SUSPENSION, F/R	Strut-type/Multilink
BRAKES, F/R	12.6-in vented discs/11.6-in solid discs
WHEELS	19-inch alloy
TIRES	Goodyear Efficient Grip 235/45R19
Measurements
L X W X H	174.2 x 82.0 x 58.9 in
WHEELBASE	106.3 in
TRACK, F/R	61.9/61.9 in
HEADROOM, F/R	38.4/37.5 in
LEGROOM, F/R	41.3/33.5 in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/R	54.8/53.1 in
CARGO CAPACITY	19.2 cu ft
WEIGHT	3,364 lb
WEIGHT DIST, F/R	61%/39%
EPA MILEAGE	24/33/27 mpg city/hwy/combined
FUEL CAPACITY	13.2 gal
EST. FUEL RANGE	356 miles
FUEL GRADE	Unleaded premium
0-60 MPH	6.3 sec
TOP SPEED	130 mph
Equipment
STANDARD EQUIPMENT
Signature LED daytime running lights	Panoramic moonroof with power sunshade
Power-folding and heated outside mirrors with puddle lamps	Roof rails
Auto-dimming outside mirror (driver’s side)	Rain-sensing front windshield wipers
Body-colored outside mirror housings	Heated washers
Unique AWD front and rear lower fascias	Rear liftgate wiper
Extended AWD overfenders (black mold-in color)	Aluminum hood
LED front fog lights	Leather flat bottom steering wheel
Unique AWD side sill panels (black moldin color)	Lowered Sport Suspension
Chrome trunk finisher – S Dual chrome exhaust finishers	Dark Chrome exhaust finishers
OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT
Liquid Copper Paint	Forward Emergency Braking
Nappa leather heated seats	Intelligent Cruise Control
Black Dinamica headliner	LED Headlamps
Blind Spot Warning	Active front Lighting System
Lane Departure Warning

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