2017 Infiniti Q60 Luxury Sports Coupe Review: Esta belleza hizo que mi corazón lata más rápido

Luxury Sports CoupeI’m smitten. And I love every minute of it.

Remember the car you first lusted after as a teen that had the perfect combination of color, interior, power and beauty? It felt amazing to sit inside it and you wanted the world to see you driving around in it. You emerged from it with grace and style and people would think, wow, she’s smart/gorgeous/successful? The car that said you are living THAT life.

And that is this car: The Infiniti Q60 Coupe.

Luxury Sports Coupe
The front seat of the Infiniti Q60: dark floors and instrument panel are offset by the gorgeous Gallery White leather seating. Photo: Scotty Reiss

Who this car is for:

  • Singles or couples
  • Buyers who want a luxury car
  • Buyers for whom design and beauty is very important
  • Buyers seeking top tech features
  • Drivers who appreciate a performance-quality drive experience
  • Drivers who only occasionally have back seat passengers
Luxury Sports Coupe
The steering wheel in the Infiniti Q60 is luxuriously wrapped in leather and frames the instrument panel and the view. Photo: Scotty Reiss

What it costs

  • Q60 2.0t (208 horsepower) $38,950
  • Q60 3.0t (300 horsepower) $44,300
  • Q60 Sport (300 horsepower) $448,300
  • Q60 400 (400 horsepower) $51,300
  • AWD adds $2,000
  • Active safety features $4,100 (Technology and Driver Assistance packages)
  • Direct adaptive steering $1,000
  • Leather seating $1,350
  • Premium package $3,200 (heated seats, navigation, remote start and more)
  • Price of the Q60 3.0 t model we drove: $55,255
Luxury Sports Coupe
There it is again: the 2017 Infiniti Q60 Coupe in its natural setting: in front of Saks Fifth Avenue. Photo: Scotty Reiss

The Q60’s first performance feature? Its design

Looking at the Infiniti Q60 from my kitchen window I could hardly look away. The beautiful Iridium Blue paint and Gallery White interior were framed by sweeping hood, roof and rear hatch lines, a continuous swoosh of elegance that make a promise that I was pretty sure it would fulfill. It did.

Designed by Cuban-American designer Alfonso Albaisa, the Q60 evokes a time in life when you’re on top and in command, life is yours for the taking. I could feel his inspiration in every detail of the Q60, from the plush leather throughout (which, seriously, is soft and has a very nice ‘squish’ factor) to chrome accents that frame the controls and slash through the center console, setting the gear shift apart from the chrome-framed cupholders. It all works in symphony to frame the view of the road and create a feeling of airy elegance without (too much) compromise on space for stuff or passengers.

Inside, the use of black and white creates a glamorous setting without being dangerous: White leather seats and door panels are offset by dark carpets, a headliner (the ceiling covering) and black leather, lacquer and chrome dashboard and console. The entire look is well-put together and elegant. Nothing feels clunky or out of place.

Then, that engine. And yes, it matters

Luxury Sports Coupe
The center console of the Infiniti Q60 is designed so that all your controls are at your finger tips. Photo: Scotty Reiss

I’m sure (though I didn’t drive it) that the 2.0t with 208 horsepower is just fine. It should accelerate, merge and take on traffic with no problem.

But if you want your heart to soar, the 3.0t or the 400 are the way to go (though if you’re thinking of the 400, you might budget for a few speeding tickets). The 3.0t, which I drove, zipped through traffic and zoomed onto the highway with grace and power. The engine wasn’t overly noisy (no boasting about size, the way many powerful engines do) and the lack of a throaty roar was deceiving: I didn’t hear a loud engine so I didn’t expect that amount of power. I felt confident on the highway and just a little thrilled on curves and hills of more challenging back roads.

Choose you drive mode: sporty, eco or somewhere in between

If you only want to soar sometimes (and who needs to be flying all the time?) you can choose your drive mode: Personal, sport, standard, eco and snow. Eco, of course, optimizes the engine for the best fuel economy possible; sport mode engages all 300 horsepower, tightens the suspension and steering, allowing the the car to be more responsive and challenging.

I found the Q60 to be great in Eco mode—completely acceptable, and in even in standard mode it was a lot of fun. The personal setting lets you customize your drive experience.

But in sport mode the Q60 took on a different personality, increasing the fun factor by a lot. I could hear and feel the engine and the car’s handling was enhanced, feeling more anxious and ready to pounce, like a performance car. However, the Q60 still maintains its luxury car feel; even in sport mode the ‘jostle factor’ is minimal; passengers won’t feel tossed around like they might in a performance car.

Luxury Sports Coupe
Controls in the Infiniti Q60 are smart and intuitive and the screen is easy to navigate. Photo: Scotty Reiss

Safety technology that has you covered

This is a point of pride for Infiniti, which was one of the first manufacturers to install multiple cameras to automate things like crash  prevention, adaptive cruise and pedestrian detection. Pretty much every active safety feature (‘active’ in that they actively work to help you stay safe) is available in the technology package and even though you might not want to let cruise control take over (because it’s fun to drive) or need blind spot monitors (because the amazing amount of glass provides great visibility), you’ll be glad they are there.

There are two screens on the center dashboard; the top one displays navigation and various settings; the lower screen displays current settings such as climate or entertainment.

An easy to use entertainment helps to keep your eyes on the road

I found the entertainment settings easy to use and the SiriusXM channels easy to scroll through. When my phone was connected (via USB or Bluetooth) I could play my own playlists. Bluetooth was easy to connect to (though I had to choose the Infiniti from my phone if I didn’t have Bluetooth on when I got in the car). I also found navigation easy to use; the displays were easy to read and best of all, the system displays the speed limit of the road you’re on and shows if there’s traffic congestion.

Electronic steering helps you to be even more in control

One technology featured in the model I test drove was direct adaptive steering (a $1,000 upgrade). Like the early adaption of safety technology, this is a tech feature that Infiniti is on the leading edge with. Essentially, it’s fully electric steering with no physical link to the drive system. Instead, the system senses your inputs, or steering commands, and electrically translates that to actions (though there is a physical back up system for safety). It’s supposed to be more responsive, but I couldn’t really tell; steering systems are generally seamless and very responsive.

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That Gallery White leather interior of the Infiniti Q60: Gorgeous and relaxing. Photo : Scotty Reiss

A beautiful rear seat—pretty to look at and there if you need it

In a coupe like this—two doors but sort of a four-seater—the rear seat clearly isn’t a priority, but something that’s good to have if you need it. Of course, it can be cumbersome; hard for passengers to get in and out and not easy to access bags or coats tossed in the back.

Infiniti approached the issue with a simple solution: A button on the shoulder of each of the front seats that when pushed, moves the seat forward or back electronically; this is in addition to the tab that when pulled up, allows the seat to fold forward. Still, the seatbelt frame, which extends toward the front seat and holds out the seatbelt so it’s easy to grab when seated in the front seat, proves to be an obstacle in the way of getting in and out easily.

The back seat does provide one key function though: providing light and space. The white leather seats are visible in the rear view mirror giving you the feeling of being truly in a sea of glorious luxury. The rear window, which extends its glass over the rear seat, adds to this spacious, luxurious feeling, flooding the cabin with light and giving you added visibility.

Need a little extra cargo space? You got it!

One thing I loved about the rear seat is that the entire back of it folds flat. This provided a great shelf for my friend Amy’s German Shepherd Woodstock. The seats and center console made an uncomfortable place for him to lay down, but he could easily (and safely) sprawl out on the flat shelf that was formed when the seat was folded. The pass-through between the cabin and trunk is ample—great for oversized things but not big enough for Woodstock to risk sliding back into the trunk space.

Luxury Sports Coupe
I simply loved this feature: push the small black button on the shoulder of the front seat and it electronically moves forward to allow passengers to get into the back seat (or allow me to grab my coat and handbag). Photo: Scotty Reiss

Where I put my handbag

Unfortunately, there is no natural place for a handbag in the Q60, though in a car this small, pretty much anywhere works. Mostly I put it on the passenger seat next to me, but when I had a passenger (which was a lot; my family liked spending time in this car) I put it on the floor behind the passenger or the rear seat behind the passenger. It was easy to reach either place and the shape of the seat, designed to cradle a human rear end, easily cradled my handbag. I did find that it was least accessible when I put it on the passenger or floor or seat behind the driver’s seat. I had to fold the driver’s seat forward to get it and the seatbelt frame made it hard to access.

Would I buy this car?

Luxury Sports Coupe
Me and the Infiniti Q60, a car I don’t mind being seen with. Photo: Scotty Reiss

Absolutely. I loved every second in this car. It’s one of the most beautiful cars I’ve ever been in and the gorgeous details, from the leather seating to the leather-covered center console to the sweeping lines of the exterior, never ceased to delight. It was fun to drive, fun to be in and beautiful to look at. This beauty made my heart beat faster.

What We Loved

  • Gorgeous design inside and out (serioulsy, I could stop right there)
  • The performance quality engine (and sport mode!)
  • Snow mode
  • The push-button front seats that slide forward when needed
  • Fold flat rear seat
  • Every possible luxury, from heated seats to remote start
  • The Infiniti suite of safety technology including adaptive cruise and more

What You Need To Know

  • Premium fuel recommended
  • 19 MPG city/28 MPG highway (we averaged about 20 MPG during our drive)
  • Rear seat is comfortable but hard to get in and out of
  • Safety features are an option pactkage ($2,250)
  • Premium package ($3,200) includes upgraded navigation, heated seats and steering wheel, remote start and telescoping steering wheel

What we loved to listen to in the 2017 Infiniti Q60

This car inspired great tunes, from Latin-flavored songs to those that help you soar. Here’s our playlist:

Disclosure: Infiniti loaned me the Q60 for my test drive; opinions expressed here are all my own. 

Luxury Sports Coupe
The Infiniti Q60 Coupe Monroney
Scotty Reiss
Scotty Reiss

Journalist, entrepreneur and mom. Expertise includes new cars, family cars, 3-row SUVs, child passenger car seats and automotive careers and culture. A World Car Awards juror and member of the steering committee, Scotty likes to say the automotive business found her, rather than her finding it. But recognizing the opportunity to give voice to powerful female consumers and create a voice to match their spending power, her mission became to empower women as car buyers and owners. A career-long journalist, she has written for the New York Times, Town & Country, Adweek and co-authored the book Stew Leonard, My Story, a biography of the founder of the iconic grocery company Stew Leonard’s. Her love of cars started when her father insisted she learn to change the oil in her MG Midget, but now it mostly plays out in the many road trips taken with her family.

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