Infiniti unveiled its 2017 Q60 performance coupe today at Detroit's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS); the brand calls its latest model the next step in its plan to become a top-tier player among premium vehicle manufacturers.
Based on the same architecture that underpins the 2016 Q50 sport sedan, the Q60 shares that car's range of turbocharged engines, including a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder making 208 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, and a 3.0L twin-turbo V6 offered in 300 hp/295 lb-ft and 400 hp/350 lb-ft states of tune. Regardless of engine, power is put to the road through a seven-speed automatic transmission; yes, that means the six-speed manual available in the current, second-gen model is the latest casualty of the unrelenting march of progress.
The new turbocharged engines put Infiniti squarely in the running with contemporary premium coupe competitors like the BMW 4 Series, Audi A5/S5, and the Lexus RC, which we expect will get its own 2.0L turbo-four option later this year.
In Canada, all 2017 Q60 variants will initially get Infiniti's rear-biased all-wheel drive – it runs in a 50:50 split in normal conditions but can send 100 percent of the engine's power to the rear axle when conditions demand – with rear-drive models to join the lineup later.
The Q60 also follows the Q50 in adopting Infiniti's "dynamic digital suspension", and the second-generation of the brand's direct adaptive steering system, which it says has been retuned with input from existing Q50 owners. Four-cylinder cars get a traditional hydraulic-assist power steering setup.
Infiniti says the Q60 will go on sale later this year.
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