turbo | LENSPEED

Infiniti Q50 2.0T Sport: Sporting Luxury

Text and photos by The Lenspeed Team

After sampling Infiniti vehicles for the first time at a drive experience they hosted, it was finally time for us to get the keys and bring one home for the test of the daily grind. It was certainly a welcome respite from the hard-riding, take-no-prisoners nature of our daily ride, sitting in the cosseting interior of the Q50 and softly caressing the padded leather lining the doors. It’s not overtly luxurious, but enough to feel quite expensive.

But then, you would expect it given the market positioning of Infiniti. The luxury arm of its parent Nissan, Infiniti has found relatively good success in the United States, together with Lexus as one of the luxury exports from the Far East that made it big. However, it is still a relatively small brand in Europe and here in Singapore, despite what the stellar local sales results recently would have you believe. That said, the Q50 we had over the two days had all the correct ingredients to find acceptance in the local market – a small, relatively tax-friendly engine, a strong dealer representative, aftersales support and value for money.

You might not agree with the last point given the car is asking for close to $200,000 (depending on which variant you go for). But compared to its German rivals at least, it is more well-equipped, and in terms of cabin real estate you get something in between a C-Class and an E-Class.

But it is related to Mercedes a lot more than you would believe. The engine is from Mercedes, the 7-speed gearbox is sourced from Mercedes and even some of the interior trim. Tactfully, the resemblance is well-hidden beneath the surface unlike in the new Infiniti Q30 where you would not be far-fetched to say you thought you were sitting in an A-Class.

While I would not consider Mercedes cutting-edge technology-wise, there are worser brands to learn from and be associated with. So it’s not surprising to find that the engine and gearbox work well together, and offer a truly punchy delivery that quite befits the sporting nature of the Q50. The engine sounds good when stretched to its fullest, but potting around town it can sound uninspiring. This does egg you to drive it hard, as does the suspension. In the particular one we drove (Sport trim), paired with the large rims the ride was a bit too harsh for our liking. It does give the car a very sure-footed, unflappable way about it, but for a daily commute it can be jarring especially over broken roads and potholes. For this reason alone I’d pick a trim level that comes with smaller rims.

It also makes sense to go for a more comfortable setup, because as much as you’d like to drive the car quick, the gearbox slurs its shifts and encourages you to go slower instead of faster. Fuel consumption would weigh on your mind too – even with a fairly frugal style of driving the car averaged 12L/100km, which is acceptable for what it is but it’s definitely not that efficient.

When you’re not focused about how it drives, you start to look at the interior and that’s the next most important thing for you will be spending all of your time in it. Generally, build quality is good – the interior parts all feel well screwed together and seem unlikely to spring a rattle any time soon. It feels more American than Japanese in its architecture though, and that starts to become more obvious when you delve into the complicated dual-screen infotainment system.

Despite taking up most of the space of the dashboard, the functionality of the screens are rather limited. But you would be spending more of your time trying to figure it all out anyway. It is not the most intuitive of systems around, and the graphics are a tad dated next to the snazzy systems in a BMW or a Merc. That said, you don’t even get these features in a comparable German car at the same price, so perhaps the Infiniti’s option is the better one.

Rear passengers get a unique experience as their seats seem to be set slightly higher than the front seats, so their view of the front of the road is excellent. The seats feel comfortable and well-padded, although with a sloping roofline those who are taller than 1.7m might find the headroom a tad cramped. However, it’s still a cosy place to be in.

So, which Q50 would we buy? If you want a ride that is more befitting that of a luxury sedan, we’d recommend the base trim that comes with 17” alloys. If you top up for Premium, you’d get LED headlights, “Kacchu” aluminium interior trim, an Around View Monitor and 18” alloys. We’d not get the Sport trim unless you want a very focused, harsher setup. Our pick – the base Q50 to enjoy the best value, and in our opinion the best ride and handling compromise too.

Wall-E, meet Drive-E

By The Lenspeed Team

Volvo isn’t the first brand that comes to mind at Lenspeed when we talk about driver’s cars, but the surprising proliferation of efficient and powerful turbocharged engines (and some twincharged!), plus the addition of an Aisin 8-speed transmission in new Drive-E models, have made us sit up and pay more attention.

Under Chinese ownership, Volvo has seemed to have lost none of its Scandinavian roots, betraying none of the source of its new-found lease of life. Like how Tata has managed Jaguar Land Rover, Geely has largely kept its hands off the operations at Volvo, providing only the funds that have allowed Volvo to innovate and modernise. The new XC90 is the first car Volvo has launched since being bought by Geely, and from first impressions it looks fantastic inside and out. It’s the same story with the technology we find in Volvos nowadays, which can surprise even Wall-E.

We’re curious to know how all of this new tech underneath has translated to the driving experience, so we took a XC60 T5 Drive-E to find out.

The XC60 was always a handsome looking SUV, and those charmed by Twilight may remember Edward Cullen driving one (I had to Google his name, by the way. Definitely not a Twilight type). Its lines are clean and yet captivating, which is an achievement – how this is done is perhaps the reason why it all seems so right: the designer of the XC60 was inspired by flowing water in a river near his home. Naturally-inspired design never age, as they are made to last a lifetime!

One slightly disappointing change, to my eyes, from the pre-facelift to the current car, is the front cosmetic change which now feature single headlights instead of the more interesting two-part design in place before. Now this looks like a simplification that removed a little sophistication (see below for the old headlights).

Moving inside, the interior is a slightly off-beat mix of durability and luxury. Everything feels like it’s built to last the triplets and their growing up battles (dropping ice cream, soiling, etc) but yet the soft leather and well-judged materials are definitely a step above what you may find in, say, a Volkswagen. This juxtaposition extends to the centre console and instrumentation, where the former feels decidedly aged next to its rivals with its myriad of buttons and a slightly frivolous ‘manikin’, while the latter is a super high-tech switchable digital gauge that is frankly a bit pointless. I just stuck to my favourite gauge and didn’t bother about it anymore. I doubt any owner would be changing his gauge designs very often, if at all. Taken as a package the interior feels like a mix of old and new, comfortable but not quite luxurious. Of course all of this does fade into the background once you sample the seats – which are very supple and soothing – and start driving, as everything does work perfectly intuitively.

You sit pretty high in the XC60, but Volvo has made it easy to get in and out of, which wasn’t a problem at all for the parents. In fact, driving around urban areas was a cinch thanks to great visibility all-round. However, you do feel the size of the car when it comes to parking, although with a reverse camera it helps to make sure you don’t back up too far. Also, while the XC60 feels more car-like than MPV, its slow-witted steering is ponderous and feels as if it is hampering the rest of the car, which is eager to be driven more spiritedly.

Now on to the major changes of the Drive-E model: with a brand-new 2.0-litre four-cylinder developed in-house at Volvo, the engine is good for 245bhp and 350Nm. It features friction reduction measures such as ball bearings on the camshaft and high-speed continuous variable valve timing. Admittedly, it’s as good a turbocharged engine as the best out there, with a strong and linear delivery that can shove this SUV to pace with ease. Because it is FWD only, the engine can efficiently pull the XC60 along without any weight and drivetrain debt of a AWD vehicle, giving commendable fuel economy for a car of its size. A win-win in Singapore really, if you insist on having an SUV. One thing I rather dislike about the engine though, is the sound it makes – more vacuum cleaner than cutting-edge engineering, it is at times as noisy as a diesel on idle and maybe even more so on load. Not a pleasant workhorse to hear by any means, but at least it does an exceptionally good job while at it.

There is also little to fault about the Aisin gearbox. It is fast, seems to be wired directly to my brain and exceptionally efficient. Although not strictly a Volvo engineered device, it is at least very well-paired to the engine. Interestingly enough, you can at the same time also get a XC60 R-Design with an older 4-cylinder turbo engine equipped with a 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox dubbed powershift, but having experienced both gearboxes we’d much rather have the Aisin box.

An interesting thing about the ECO+ mode in the XC60 that sets it apart from other Start-Stop systems is that it cuts off the engine even before the car comes to a complete stop. Although I’m unsure how much more fuel this will save as compared to a conventional Start-Stop, it does work pretty unobtrusively and is slightly unnerving, in a good way.

Another feature in the Drive-E model is Volvo Sensus Connect, which taps onto your mobile phone to activate web surfing and internet radio in the car, the former limited to only up to 7 km/h. We didn’t get to try this feature when we had the car, although we got a demonstration of an engine remote start, which might come in handy to get the interior frosty before actually stepping in!

When we returned the car, we were a bit sad to give back a car that balances utilitarian and style in a way that only Volvo can manage. It’s certainly an appealing proposition for families, and in our view there are really no direct competitors in Volvo’s segment that is not quite mass yet not quite luxury. And maybe for that reason alone, the XC60 would find its niche of buyers. Yet, because of its stellar drivetrain that brings the XC60 up to speed with its German and Japanese rivals, it might even attract a clientele beyond that niche…

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

By Ken Ng

Lenspeed attends Big Mac’s 650S launch party in Kuala Lumpur

It has only been nine months since McLaren Kuala Lumpur’s opening right smack in town, but it has wasted no time unveiling three cars in nine months – a sign of growing market demand within the rich radius of Malaysia’s capital.

Three cars have been unveiled since October 2013 – the MP4-12C (or 12C in 2014 speak), the P1 and the 650s. We were invited for the launch of the 650S, and as its name suggests, it boasts a power output of 650ps (641bhp), with the familiar M838T 3.8-litre twin turbocharged V8 motor capable of helping McLaren’s latest addition to the stable sprint to the century in three seconds.

Greeted with the only 50^th anniversary 12C Spyder in Malaysia, I was pretty certain that the night will not disappoint. Like any other supercar unveiling, the event was accompanied by finger food and drinks.

The main star of the night however has to be the 650S itself. According to McLaren, it is not meant to be a replacement to the 12C. Rather, it was developed to sit alongside the 12C as a higher priced offering. Despite McLaren’s claims, it remains clear that both cars look very similar, at least to the untrained eye.

At RM1.2million before duties and RM1.3million before duties for the Coupe and the Spyder respectively, owners of this new supercar will be happy to know that most of the optional extras are already included for Malaysia customers. Carbon ceramic brakes, parking sensors and camera, lightweight forged rims – previously costly upgrades for the 12C now come as standard in the 650S.

To differentiate the 650S from the 12C, McLaren has included the unique headlights derived from the P1. The ‘swoosh’ badge is also replaced with the classic McLaren logo found on the F1. To accompany the increased downforce provided by the front, the rear is fitted with a three-piece bumper inspired by the GT3 variant of the 12C. Although the 650S looks stunning, I would still opt for the 12C mainly due to its more cohesive design language. But beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, and supercar purchases are often bought with your heart (and a deep pocket of course!). If you are in the market for either a 12C or a 650S, rest assured that you would never go wrong with either one.

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