By: IOL Motoring Staff
Infiniti calls its new QX30 a "premium active crossover" and it's basically an on-stilts version of the Q30 hatch, dressed up in some bush gear.
The Q30, which we recently drove in Portugal (see our impressions in Thursday's Star, Mercury or Cape Times) is based around the Mercedes A-Class and GLA family through Nissan's alliance with the premium carmaker and while much of the beneath-the-skin content is shared, and even some of the interior switchgear, the Infiniti versions have a style of their own.
While the QX30 is no doubt far more crossover than off-roader, it does have a higher ride height than its hatch sibling and it will be offered with a permanent all-wheel drive system.
Infiniti hasn't detailed the engine range as yet but it goes without saying that it'll stick to the familiar Q30 menu, which offers two turbo-petrol options - a 115kW 1.6 and 155kW 2-litre - and two turbodiesels in the form of an 80kW 1.5 and 125kW 2.1-litre.
The Q30 is expected to arrive in South Africa in July 2016 and the QX30 should follow hot on its heels.