Nissan’s luxury brand Infiniti continues to struggle and is still relatively unknown in many quarters. Sales November year-to-date down 18 percent on the same time last year. Infiniti has just stimulated its small entry models, the Q30 hatch and the higher riding QX30 SUV – rationalising the variants, sharpening prices and adding features. I previewed this duo at Pebble Beach in the U.S. some years back and they held great promise. However, despite cutting edge styling the Infiniti Q30 and QX30 owe their underpinnings to a shared platform deal with Mercedes-Benz, and more specifically the excellent A-Class hatch and GLA-Class SUV – this in many ways is a two edge sword – badge conscious buyers would rather buy one of the Mercedes duo with their greater presence and perhaps higher resale value. The power of the large three-pointed Mercedes star particularly appealing to Asian buyers. Nevertheless, the Infiniti Q30 and QX30 now offer exceptional value and I look forward to driving the new models. I’m David Berthon

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