Consumer Reports Rates Fiat 500L, Nissan Versa Note and Infiniti Q50

One has to be careful when watching many car video reviews to not lose their own views and opinions, and oust them in favor of what somebody else said. It’s so obvious sometimes that reviewers peek over the fence and end up all pointing out the same qualities and flaws over and over again, until you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s the way things are, full stop.

However, I’ve noticed that with Consumer Reports reviews, a new perspective is brought forth, on cars we already knew, by highlighting qualities or flaws that may have been (repeatedly) overlooked by others.

It may be down to the way they test the cars, or just their attitude towards them, but for instance, their freshly-uploaded quick takes for the Fiat 500L, Nissan Versa Note and Infiniti Q50 stand separately from the mainstream. According to them, the Note leaves the impression of being the best all-round car of the trio, despite at first glance seeming to be the least desirable…

The Infiniti is penalized for its vague steering that can get an optional steer-by-wire system, which makes things even worse in that respect. The Fiat wins points on style and space, but its automatic gearbox is dimwitted and the limited choice of engines (only one available) further hurts what is otherwise an enticing package for families.

Check out the videos for all three cars, below.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Infiniti Targets UK Business Users with New Q50 Diesel Executive Editions

Much like any other premium manufacturer in the UK market, Infiniti too wants a piece of the pie that is business users. To make their lives easier, the Japanese carmaker has released a pair of designated editions of the new Q50 sedan named the Executive and Premium Executive.

Both come with a frugal 2.2-liter turbo diesel that produces 168bhp (170PS) and 400Nm of peak torque for a zero to sixty (96km/h) in 8.5 seconds and a combined cycle fuel economy of 64.2mpg UK (53.5 mpg US or 4.4l/100km) for the manual model and 58.9mpg UK (49.0 mpg US or 4.8l/100km) for the automatic.

Pricing starts from £29,870 with a monthly contract hire leasing rate of £299.99 plus VAT (3+35 rentals, non maintenance, 10,000 miles a year), with the higher specified Premium Executive that includes satellite navigation, heated and powered leather seats with memory and I-Key, beginning from £33,470 or with contract hire at £336.99 per month.

According to Infiniti, "The Q50’s 114g/km CO2 rating (manual transmission) also delivers highly competitive benefit-in-kind tax bills for drivers. A 20 per cent taxpayer in 2013/14 will face a benefit-in-kind tax bill of just £83.45 a month (40 per cent taxpayer: £166.90) for the manual. Even in year three (2015/16) this rises to only £99.56 (£199.13)."

Nissan to Launch Infiniti Brand in Japan with the Q50 - The End of Skyline Range?

Launched in 1989 as a competitor for Toyota’s luxury division Lexus in the United States, Nissan’s Infiniti brand has been expanding worldwide in recent years, focusing especially on Europe. Now it looks like Infiniti will debut in Japan as well, as Nissan wants to capitalize on demand for luxury cars in its home market.

According to a report from Japanese business daily Nikkei quoted by Reuters, Nissan will launch the redesigned Skyline luxury sports sedan under the Infiniti brand as early as this winter. The Skyline is sold as the Infiniti Q50 in the United States and Europe. Nissan hasn’t yet communicated the price of the Q50 in Japan, but the report said the sedan will be built in a plant in Tochigi Prefecture. In the U.S., the Infiniti Q50 starts from $36,700.

The fate of the Nissan Skyline range remains unknown, but it doesn't make much sense for the Japanese company to offer the same exact vehicles under different brands in the same market.

According to Nikkei, Nissan will sell Infiniti models at existing Nissan dealerships and has no plans to set up an exclusive sales network for now. If sales are good, Nissan may consider expanding the Infiniti lineup in the country.

Infiniti vehicles are mostly produced in Japan and exported overseas. The brand made up less than 1 percent of Nissan’s operating profit in the last two years as the strong Japanese Yen dented affected its exports. However, Infiniti is expected to meet its own operating profit margin target this fiscal year, thanks to a weaker yen and low depreciation charge.

Infiniti president Johan de Nysschen said he expected the brand to meet its target for an operating profit margin of 6-7 percent in the fiscal year ending in March 2014.

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY

Vossen Dresses Infiniti Q50 with New Rims

The Infiniti Q50 is a nicely styled and designed modern sedan, with clear Japanese origin, European influences and a (primarily) American final destination. It is in no way a bad looking new car, but as is always the case, the regular manufacturer rims and standard ride height do little to enhance the overall look.

That’s why the car in the video posted below look so much better. It gets some cool new wheels from Vossen that are of a new design that require special manufacturing techniques, as well as a lower ride height, to give them a better chance of filling the arches. The rims themselves, called CVT, are directional and come in 20- or 22-inch flavors, and will be available for purchase this month or in November, depending on which size you want (the larger ones will be available next month).

I think they look spot on underneath the Q50, but look far less so when fitted to a Nissan GT-R, BMWs, a Mercedes-Benz SL or Ford Mustang where to me they looked out of place. The Infiniti is the only one of the bunch that completely pulls them off, while at the opposite end of the suitability scale we have the Audi S5, which in my opinion, should have stuck to stock.

By Andrei Nedelea

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO