2018 Infiniti Q50S Red Sport

By Alex Forrest

Infiniti first sold cars in Australia in 1991, when it marketed the Q45, but then withdrew it in 1993. 

The brand finally relaunched in Australia in 2012 and today, there are far more models to choose from. 

These range from small cars such as the Q30, to the gigantic QX 80 four wheel drive, but they aren’t exactly flying off showroom floors. In WA, of the 97,000 vehicles sold in 2017, only 63 were Infinitis. 

This is less a matter of them being bad cars than the simple fact of people sticking with the brands they know. 

But that isn’t necessarily a reason to strike Infiniti from your shopping list. 

The Q50S Red Sport is Infiniti’s premium sports sedan. It performs very well, but like its competition, it retains some of the comfort and serenity of a luxury saloon. 

It could be considered an alternative to the more established players in the category such as the BMW 340i and Audi S4. 

Of course, as a relative newcomer, the Q50S Red Sport had to be cheaper than these and at $80,000 plus on-roads, it’s about $11,000 and $20,000 cheaper respectively.   
    
Now, just to clarify, “Red Sport” is the name of the Q50 variant, not a description of its colour. It is available in different hues, and in fact our test car would be described as a blue Red Sport, though the one pictured here is a red Red Sport. 

And for background, Infiniti is Nissan’s luxury brand, similar to the way Lexus is a premium brand owned by Toyota. 

The Q50S Red Sport is an attractive looking thing, and current models have well-appointed interiors with supportive, comfortable seats and quality materials used in the main. 

The 298kW twin-turbo V6 engine is both an asset and a liability. It makes the Red Sport quick in a straight line, but in cornering it can quickly have the rear tyres fighting for traction. In this regard, it doesn’t have the composure of the German sports sedans.     

The Red Sport’s safety credentials are good, and include a 360 degree camera, lane keeping, auto braking and a suite of other gear to help you avoid crashes.