What’s cookin’, good lookin’?
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
Looks can solely get you up to now. The 2020 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 is the automotive model of that adage: Its stunningly beautiful exterior is writing checks its efficiency and expertise simply cannot money.
LikeStandout styling that turns headsLots of energy from the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engineNicely appointed cabin
Don’t LikeOne of the worst automated transmissions we have ever testedOutdated infotainment technologyNot plenty of headroomSuper-small trunk
The Infiniti Q60 is a four-seat sport coupe obtainable with both rear- or all-wheel drive. All trims (Pure, Luxe and Red Sport 400) get a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 engine, however the decrease trims push out simply 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. They’re respectable numbers for positive, however my Red Sport 400 tester packs all-wheel drive and — you guessed it — 400 hp, plus 350 lb-ft.It’s just a few years previous now, however the Q60 remains to be a looker. Curvy and sculptural, it turns heads wherever it goes. LED headlights give the Q60 a definite mild signature and I like the distinctive kink within the C-pillar. My Red Sport 400 will get 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels which might be tucked up subsequent to the fenders, making for a good silhouette. I feel it is one of many best-looking automobiles on the highway immediately.
My first trace that the Q60 may not be greater than a fairly face comes throughout my commute residence from downtown San Francisco. I’m simply toddling alongside within the Standard drive mode at a middling tempo of 25 to 45 mph. For no matter motive, this seven-speed automated transmission simply cannot deal with it, continuously upshifting and downshifting like an undecided youngster confronted with 31 completely different ice cream flavors. Things get higher on again roads, however solely marginally so. Here, I change between the Sport and Sport Plus modes for higher dealing with and a extra aggressive shift sample. The dealing with half is nice, but it surely’s fully overshadowed by unpredictable transmission mapping. Sometimes the Q60 downshifts on braking, however different occasions it waits till my proper foot asks for the ability. The transmission typically upshifts on the unsuitable second, particularly when I’m simply biding my time to get round a flip — I am unable to be on the fuel on a regular basis, Infiniti. Sometimes I want a little bit persistence by means of a flip, however all this upshifting is simply making an attempt my persistence.
The inside is usually good, however the infotainment tech is terrible.
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
Thankfully, the Red Sport 400 has paddle shifters so you may transfer by means of the gears by yourself phrases. While the transmission nonetheless does not shift as shortly as I would really like when utilizing the paddles, that is way more participating. There’s loads of strong engine noise coming into the cabin, as effectively — sufficient that I flip down the radio and simply revel within the racket.
The steer-by-wire Direct Adaptive Steering system is absent from my tester, for which I’m grateful. I’ve skilled DAS on different fashions and it leaves me feeling disconnected from each the automotive and the highway. The common electrical energy steering setup is nothing to write down residence about, both, however there is a good heft to it, and it provides a bit extra suggestions than the fancy-pants stuff.Standard driver-assistance options on the Red Sport 400 are a bit mild, consisting of ahead collision warning, emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring and backup-collision intervention. More superior options, together with full-speed adaptive cruise management, blind-spot intervention and lane-keeping help, are a part of the $2,850 ProfessionalAssist Package, which sadly consists of the aforementioned steer-by-wire “upgrade.”
On the tech aspect, the excellent news is that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are actually customary, as is a Wi-Fi hotspot — not less than on this Red Sport 400 trim. The Infiniti InContact infotainment system makes use of two screens: An 8-inch higher display shows solely your smartphone interface or, if not linked, the navigation map. The decrease display is an inch smaller and takes care of different features. I just like the two-screen setup right here, because it’s good not having to toggle forwards and backwards between Apple CarPlay and the native system, however Infiniti’s embedded tech is clunky and positively displaying its age. An improve is required tout suite.In-car charging duties are given to at least one USB Type-A and one Type-C within the middle console, whereas 12-volt retailers dwell within the sprint and the middle console. Wireless charging shouldn’t be obtainable and again seat passengers are left wanting for juice — not that anybody will wish to experience again there. Despite there being two cup holders for rear seat passengers, seating is fairly cramped due to a sloping roof line. Heck, my hair brushes the roof within the entrance, too.Cargo area is equally sparse. The trunk has a tiny 9 cubic ft — greater than a Miata, positive, however far lower than the 15.7 cubes within the BMW 4 Series. Heck, even the Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe and Lexus RC have extra. Interior storage is simply as stingy, with solely a small cubby within the middle stack sufficiently big to your keys that is instantly behind the gearshift and never very accessible. There is a tiny little bit of storage within the door pockets, too, however nearly each pocket on this automotive is on the small aspect. The inside supplies and match and end are all nice. However, the general inside design is fairly dated, regardless of the addition of carbon fiber trim and contrasting stitching all through.Unfortunately, this automotive is not way more than a fairly face.
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
Still, the Infiniti Q60 is a good-looking automotive and one which strikes a critical pose out on the highway. My cash can be on the center Luxe trim, because it begins practically $12,000 decrease than the Red Sport 400, and I am unable to justify paying practically $120 per further horsepower. I’m additionally sticking with rear-wheel drive since I dwell in California and do not must cope with snowy climate. I’d add the Edition 30 bundle, commemorating 30 years of Infiniti gross sales within the US, to get just a few look upgrades in addition to full-speed adaptive cruise management, blind-spot monitoring, heated seats and steering wheel, parking sensors and a Wi-Fi hotspot. That brings my complete worth as much as $50,725 together with vacation spot, far beneath the $65,950 worth of my Red Sport 400 AWD tester.If you get actually nitpicky in regards to the competitors, there aren’t that many luxurious two-door sport coupes round today. The BMW 4 Series and Audi S5 each have extra expertise, higher cabins and provide very good driving dynamics. As a bonus, each can be found as convertibles. Meanwhile, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class might be AMG-ified with as much as 503 horsepower, although it will get mighty expensive up there. If you are keen so as to add two extra doorways the choices open up in a giant approach, with the Audi S5 Sportback being a superb instance. It’s a disgrace the 2020 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 does not carry out on the identical stage as its seems to be. But not less than it will nonetheless flip heads.