First shown at Geneva in early 2015, the Infiniti QX30 Concept made its way to the 2015 New York International Auto Show where Infiniti Executive Design Director Alfonso Albaisa confirmed that what you see is pretty much what you’re going to get on the showroom floor next year.
“Not the split-back, see-through seats, necessarily, or the roof racks in this form, but otherwise we’re very close.”
Neither company is advertising the collaboration, but they’re not hiding anything, either. You just have to ask.
And that’s good news, because this was one of our favourite cars of the 2015 New York International Auto Show.
At a private session with Mr. Albaisa, the initial questions had more to do with the QX30’s eye-catching appearance than anything else (and we’ll get to that), but discussions did eventually turn to the QX30’s Mercedes-Benz (Daimler) foundations. This is a first for Infiniti, of course, to build a new vehicle on a Daimler platform, this one found under the recently introduced GLA crossover and CLA sport sedan (the upcoming Q30 is expected to be an Infiniti hatchback version of the CLA).
I must say, I was rather intrigued by this development. What’s in it for Infiniti? For Mercedes-Benz? At a later session with Nissan/Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn these questions were asked and Mr. Ghosn suggested that the future of the automotive sector will be one of collaboration. “Not necessarily mergers...,” he said, “...although it could be, but also sharing and jointly developing technologies if it makes sense to do so.”
Obviously this particular collaboration must make sense, and from the Infiniti perspective one can surmise that the company needs a vehicle in this popular segment and they need it quickly. Developing an entire new platform from scratch takes time and resources, so using the GLA platform (and drivetrain, by the way) and fitting it with a completely new body and interior, along with modifying the chassis more in keeping with desired Infiniti driving dynamics, gets Infiniti “on the road” in double quick time.
Why is this of interest to Daimler? They get more volume for this platform which makes it more cost-effective to develop, and presumably more profitable. Neither company is advertising the collaboration, but they’re not hiding anything, either. You just have to ask.
So that’s what you can’t see. What you can see is an eye-catching, dynamic form that’s interesting from every angle. You might think the complex pressings of the hood and doors, and the contrast of sharp angles and soft planes would be too expensive to manufacture, but Mr. Albaisa says no. A few years ago maybe, but not anymore with new software and manufacturing techniques now available.
And some might think the entire design is too busy; too sculptural; too much, even. Personally, I think it’s a real tour-de-force. Auto journalists and consumers are always complaining about how vehicles seem to be designed from the same few moulds, but here’s something with personality and verve. So let’s celebrate that!
The QX30 Concept sits high, with 192 millimetres of ground clearance, even though it’s lowered slightly from the GLA’s 203 mm. Still, the ride height will give the driver good outward visibility and would be helpful in severe winter conditions. In Concept form the QX30’s 21-inch rims definitely give it a wheel-centric appearance (surely the rear wheel is as far back as is possible), as is Infiniti’s preference with their SUVs.
I asked Mr. Albaisa whether he was constrained by the “hard points” supplied with the Mercedes-Benz platform and how it was that the two vehicles – GLA and QX30 – could look so different.
“We always have to work around the engineering hard points, no matter what the source of the platform,” said Mr. Albaisa. “It’s part of what we do as designers, although we’re seeing some creative engineers and it really helps when we can work together.” In other words, no, there was no added constraint; just the normal challenge of dealing with fixed elements and different starting point compared to Mercedes-Benz.
For Infiniti, that starting point was a theme of “stylish protection” for the QX30, according to Mr. Albaisa. Its dynamic lines are described as tough but athletic; rugged but fluid. The complex pressings are perhaps an expression of these seemingly contradictory goals, creating dramatic tension in the design and a unique personality for the QX30 when compared to the GLA.
“Actually, there are elements of the design that just shouldn’t work,” he said. “I don’t want to get into the formal components of design but we have combined planes and subtle curves, sharp angles and creases, some of which, if you were to go “by the book,” just wouldn’t be allowed.”
“This is the key to the design of the QX30 and any good design, in my opinion,” continued Mr. Albaisa. “Sometimes you can break the rules, which maybe we’ve done, but first you have to master them.”
Mr. Albaisa was excited that legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, spent time considering the QX30 at Geneva. “He’s like a design god,” said Mr. Alibaisa. “All of us designers look up to Giugiaro, and he walked around the QX30 Concept and concluded, ‘It shouldn’t work, but it does!’ It was the highest compliment.”
Contributing to the visual success is the special satin paint worn by the QX30 Concept. Not matte, not gloss, this satin coat dramatically delineates the lines of the QX30 in the way light reflects off of it.
“It’s not just light and shadow,” said Mr. Albaisa. “Look at this crease here... (he pointed to the swage line traversing the driver’s door)... it’s not just light and dark, it’s multiple gradations from white to black right along the line that change as you move.”
Will satin paint be available on the QX30? Mr. Albaisa thinks not, and I’d suggest it’s glossiness that consumers typically equate with opulence; the shinier the better, in other words. That satin paint, though, it’s very classy.
As you might expect, the design of the QX30 is the new look of Infiniti crossovers and SUVs. As the QX50, QX60, QX70 and QX80 are updated, they’ll feature the same design elements, creating a family of vehicles wearing this look.
Interestingly, Infiniti also launched its “refreshed” QX50 at New York. Featuring an extended wheelbase and increased length, it wasn’t a resounding thud (the former FX35/45 were really groundbreaking in their day, and the QX50 shares that look), but next to the QX30 Concept, the QX50 is clearly dated.
Look for the Infiniti QX30 in showrooms as a 2017 model, likely on sale in 2016.
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