Infiniti Q60 (2016 – 2018) Review

The Infiniti Q60 was a classic case of a car having plenty of style, but not enough substance. Against the likes of the Audi A5, or another German contender, the BMW 4 Series – or even the Lexus RC – the Infiniti simply didn’t drive with sufficient verve or polish, which was a fundamental problem for an upmarket coupe. Read on for our full Infiniti Q60 review.

If you want a sleek-looking premium coupe, but fancy something a bit different, then how about this?

The Infiniti Q60 is a leftfield used choice in a market dominated by the likes of the BMW 4 Series and the Audi A5.

Infiniti was the premium brand from Nissan, in a similar way that Toyota and Lexus co-exist.

But unlike Lexus, Infiniti struggled to make an impact in the UK, ensuring that its models were a rare sight on our roads. 

The sporty Infiniti Q60 is one of its better-looking offerings, but sadly the inside doesn’t live up to the outside.

Even when new, the interior felt dated and a generation behind the competition. The switches and steering column stalks shared with cheaper Nissan models didn’t help.

On the plus side, the Infiniti Q60 does come well equipped, with kit such as LED headlights, a rear view camera, heated and electric seats and navigation. 

But there is no diesel model. Nor is there a hybrid. Instead there are just two petrol engines – a 2.0-litre with 211PS and a 3.0-litre V6 with an impressive 405PS, both of which have a seven-speed automatic as standard. Neither is great on fuel.

Despite the power from the V6, the Infiniti Q60 is no sports car. It handles well enough, but the steering feels very artificial, the gearbox can be slow to respond and there’s little in the way of character. 

Overall, the Infiniti Q60 isn’t a bad car. Indeed, on paper it looks good value given the standard equipment available. Plus being built by Nissan, it's likely to prove reliable and robust.

But there really is nothing compelling about it as a used car – and judged against the competition it’s very hard to make a case for the Infiniti.

Looking for a coupe? Read our Best Coupe guide here.

As well as looking great, a premium coupe has to be good to drive. In short, the Infiniti Q60 falls flat here.

There’s lots of clever technology on board, particularly when it comes to the steering. Go for a Sport model, and you get the second generation of what Infiniti calls Direct Adaptive Steering.

This is a steer-by-wire system - in other words, there’s no actual mechanical link between the steering wheel and the wheels on the road. Instead, it’s controlled by electronics.

We criticised the Direct Adaptive Steering system in the Infiniti Q50, but the brand said this second-generation system underwent “significant re-tuning to enhance steering feel and feedback without compromising comfort.”

There are no fewer than seven steering set-up modes. The problem is, despite all those settings, not one of them actually feels natural.

The steering is always over-assisted and artificial, which is a shame as the Infiniti Q60 actually handles well enough in terms of grip and body control.

However, it never feels particularly at home when driven with gusto or pushed into a corner, and is far happier at a more sedate pace.

Or it would be, were it not for the ride. The suspension is very busy, and the Infiniti Q60 is seemingly unable to settle down on anything except a perfectly smooth surface.

On 3.0 Sport models, you get an electronic suspension system, called Dynamic Digital Suspension. It’s designed to monitor the vehicle’s body roll, pitch and bounce rate and help reduce unwanted steering feel and vibrations.

It’s an improvement on the standard set-up, but still doesn’t solve the problem of the unsettled ride.

The Infiniti Q60 can move along at a fair old lick. The top 3.0-litre engine has more than 400PS and will accelerate from 0-62mph in 5.0 seconds.

It also sounds good with a nice, if not overly loud, exhaust note.

While it’s decent in a straight line, what hampers the Infiniti Q60 is the seven-speed automatic gearbox.

It’s standard with both engines, but is hesitant to change down and never seems to be in the correct gear.

That lack of response makes the Infiniti Q60 frustrating if you’re trying to drive it quickly. However, the changes are smooth enough when not rushed.

If you don't need all the power of the V6 engine, Infiniti also offered a slightly more sensible four-cylinder 2.0-litre engine with 211PS.

Borrowed from Mercedes, this is rear-wheel drive (unlike the four-wheel-drive 3.0) and provides better economy. But that’s about the extent of its appeal.

There was no Euro NCAP rating for the Infiniti Q60 but it does come with six airbags, ESP stability and traction control, ABS anti-lock brakes and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

You also get automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning and a bonnet that pops up in a collision to better protect passers-by.

And Infiniti offered a Technology pack with adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning and blind spot intervention.

The Infiniti Q60 is not rated to tow either a braked or unbraked trailer.

The seats in the front of the Infiniti Q60 are comfortable and supportive, with plenty of adjustment. There’s also a decent amount of room, even for six-footers.

Sadly the same can’t be said of the back two seats which are really cramped, although that’s par for the course in many coupes.

The boot is a good size with a wide opening, so can carry a surprising amount with a reasonable 342-litre capacity.

There was much made by the brand of the modern technology in the Infiniti Q60 at its launch, but the reality is that even then the interior felt a generation behind the competition.

The cabin is solidly constructed, but was very dated compared with the likes of the Audi A5.

Small details also let the car down. Simple things like the exterior mirror controls and electric window switches feel cheap, and not what you’d expect of a supposedly premium model.

Picky? Yes, but the quality of cars that rival the Infiniti Q60 is so high that elements like this really stand out.

Infiniti upped its game with a system called InTouch, which is a neat touchscreen system that works pretty well, although it’s not the most intuitive to use.

It looks good, though, with a high-resolution display and a black gloss surround in the dash.

However, InTouch just highlights how dated the second screen is. For some reason, two screens were fitted in the Infiniti Q60, with the one at the top displaying navigation.

It looks like it’s from an aged Nissan, and does nothing to make you think you’re in a so-called premium model.

Finding an Infiniti Q60 for sale will be the biggest hurdle you face, as so few were sold new. There are not many on the used market.

Should you track one down, reckon on spending around £14,000 for a Premium trim model with the 2.0T engine.

This will net you a seven-year-old car with 50,000 miles on the clock and a fully stamped service book.

With no diesel or hybrid models in the Infiniti Q60 line-up, you’re looking at a choice between 2.0-litre and 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol engines.

The smaller unit promised 41.5mpg combined economy, but the reality is nearer 30mpg, while the larger V6 claimed 31mpg and delivers 26mpg in normal driving.

That’s going to hurt your wallet when you fill up.

Carbon dioxide emissions of 208g/km mean a road tax payment of £395 for 12 months in the V6 if you choose an early example. With the 2.0T, it works out to £240 thanks to 158g/km emissions.

Cars registered after 1 April 2017 all pay the same flat rate of £180 for yearly road tax.

You can have an Infiniti serviced at a Nissan dealer, so maintenance won’t be overly pricey, and independents will save you a bit on labour rates.

Most Infiniti parts are still easily available.

Insurance for the Infiniti Q60 is based on groups ranging from 31 for the entry-level 2.0T to 39 for the top spec 3.0T V6.

This is broadly on a par with equivalent models from rivals.

Two trims were offered for the Infiniti Q60, with each available with a Tech upgrade.

The range begins with the Infiniti Q60 Premium, which has 19-inch alloy wheels, sat-nav, DAB, leather power-adjustable seats, manual steering wheel adjustment, heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors, heated front seats and an auto dimming rear view mirror.

It comes with a Care Pack consisting of cruise control, speed limiter, Forward Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Forward Collision Warning, Predictive Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, I-key with enhanced memory function, rear view camera and front and rear parking sensors.

There’s also USB, Bluetooth and Voice Recognition, Drive Mode Selector, InTouch, dual touchscreens, fine vision meter with five-inch TFT colour display, six speakers and air-conditioning.

The Infiniti Q60 Premium Tech adds the Safety Pack, Visibility Pack, Smart Beam, Active Front Lighting System, Multimedia Pack, Ambient Pack, electric adjustment to the steering wheel, electric folding door mirrors with reverse synchronisation, and a memory function for the driver’s seat, steering and door mirrors position.

The Infiniti Q60 Sport gets aluminium pedals and footrests, magnesium paddle shifters, unique 19-inch wheel design, Active Lane Control, opposed caliper sport brakes, silver ‘S’ in the Q60S rear badge, Multimedia Pack and an Ambient Pack.

The 3.0 has red brake callipers, Dynamic Digital Suspension, perforated double exhaust pipes, Sport + mode and a red ‘S’ in the Q60S rear and S 3.0t side badges

Sport Tech adds the Safety Pack, Visibility Pack, Smart Beam, Active Front Lighting System, and an Eco pedal with the 3.0 V6 model.