FastMotoring Motor News In Speed

Today, the first production model of the Infiniti Q50 has been rolled off the assembly line at the Tochigi production plant. The official off-line ceremony was presided over by Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., and Johan de Nysschen, President of Infiniti Motor Company Ltd.

The Q50 was premiered at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit back in January 2013. The Q50 is the first in the new generation of Infiniti vehicles. It sets fresh benchmarks in the areas of emotive styling, advanced technology and performance.

Ghosn paid tribute to the production team at Tochigi and underlined their reputation for industry-leading manufacturing expertise.

“Thanks to the skill and constant focus on performance improvement, Tochigi has a global reputation for producing top-quality vehicles. Year after year, Tochigi sets the benchmark for manufacturing quality standards,” he said.

“With the Q50, once again the Tochigi team has showcased their skill and expertise and proven the power of Japanese monozukuri.”

De Nysschen added that the Q50 was the opening salvo in Infiniti’s new product portfolio under the “Q” naming structure which was launched in December last year.

“The first Infiniti in our new line-up had to reflect the brand’s core values of seductive design, passionate attention to detail, precision in fit and finish, exhilarating performance and a provocative challenge to the status quo. The Q50 certainly does that,” he said.

“This is the first step in the launch of our exciting global expansion plan.”

Three-time Formula One World Champion, Sebastian Vettel, played an active role in the testing and evaluation programme of the Q50 in his capacity of Infiniti’s Director of Performance. Vettel will assist in shaping the performance dynamics of Infiniti’s future model line-up. 

“The first Q50 is coming off the line today so congratulations. I am glad I was involved in the development of the Q50 and I wish you a very good ‘birthday’ and success for the future,” he said in a congratulatory video message to the production team at Tochigi.

Striking design, a raft of breakthrough technologies such as Direct Adaptive Steering, and unprecedented levels of craftsmanship and performance are the distinctive qualities of the Q50.

For the Malaysian market, the local distributor – Inspired Motor Sdn Bhd has confirmed that they will be introducing the all new Q50 in Malaysia. Hence, stay updated with us.

The Malaysia Grand Prix season is back for 2013. Before the race in the second venue starts, Infiniti Red Bull Racing and former F1 driver David Coulthard gave local Infiniti owners a truly special experience today in Kuala Lumpur.

During the event, the 13-time Formula One Grand Prix winner gave insights into the life of a Formula One driver and took owners closer than ever to Formula One with a sneak peak at the workings behind the scenes of Infiniti Red Bull Racing. He shared his experience in performance driving and the importance of not just speed but precision handling and teamwork to achieve success in Formula One.

The highlight of the event was the opportunity for Infiniti owners to drive with Coulthard, who personally led a convoy from the Infiniti Center, Bukit Bintang to Cyberview Resort & Spa (Cyberjaya). It was a thrilling moment for Infiniti owners as they also got the opportunity to have their photograph taken alongside the FIA Formula One Constructors’ World Championship Trophy.

Infiniti has been an active participant in Formula One since 2011. Since that inaugural season the technical collaboration with three-time FIA Formula One Constructors’ World Champions has deepened. Infiniti starts the 2013 season as Title Partner and Vehicle Performance Partner of the renamed Infiniti Red Bull Racing with shared engineering expertise and deepened collaboration across people, processes and technologies.

“It is a great way to be associated with the high technology and performance required by the Formula One standards. It was truly an honor to have David Coulthard spend time and share his Formula One experiences with our valued Infiniti owners” said Senior General Manager of Inspired Motor Sdn Bhd, Christopher Tan.

Global Director of Infiniti Formula One, Andreas Sigl commented: “We’ve established a number of workstreams which are already underway to build our technical collaboration across the specific areas of people, processes and technologies. Our aim is to have a team of engineers working with the Formula One programme, helping us bring Infiniti Red Bull Racing’s ways of working and performance expertise to our road car operation. The collaboration will also enable us to bring Formula One-inspired technology to our road cars.”

Photo Gallery: Infiniti Red Bull Racing in Malaysia

The Infiniti EX25 which comes with the style of a coupe and the versatility of a four-wheel drive SUV is just officially launched in Malaysia. In addition, the latest Infiniti EX25 is available for public viewing at the Infiniti road show from 20th – 24th June 2012 at One Utama Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama.

The Infiniti EX25 is designed as such with boasting stylish coupe looks and a practical, luxurious interior with the commanding driving position and all-wheel drive traction.

The Infiniti EX25 is powered by a 2.5-litre 24 valve V6 engine from Nissan’s VQ engine family. The engine produces 163kW (218hp) with a torque of 253Nm at 4,800rpm. A 7-speed automatic transmission features a manual mode is mated with the V6 engine. The EX25 is capable to sprint from 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds and a top speed of 210km/h. The fuel consumption over the combined cycle is 11.3km/l.

At a glance

- Unique combination of style and practicality

- Intelligent All-Wheel Drive with Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) and Limited Slip Differential

- Potent 218hp and 253Nm 2.5-litre V6

- Advanced seven-speed automatic transmission with Adaptive Shift Control (ASC)

- Innovative technologies featuring “self-healing” scratch shield paint, Adaptive Front-light System (AFS) and electric folding rear seats

- Class leading build quality

- High level of safety features with:

- Six airbags

- Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Brake Assist (BA) and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD)

- Child safety ISOFIX and Front-seat Active Head Restraints

According to Infiniti, the ECU is cleverly mapped which helps the engine provide a progressive ‘swell’ of power and torque, providing a ‘building wave’ of acceleration rather than a peaky power delivery.

In Malaysia, the Infiniti EX Line is offered in 6 exterior colors, namely – Moonlight White, Liquid Platinum, Black Obsidian, Graphite Shadow, Malbec Black, and Midnight Garnet. Lastly, this masterpiece from Infiniti is selling at RM 325,000 on-the-road (excluding insurance) in Peninsular Malaysia.

Photo Gallery: Infiniti EX25

Not long ago, a leading automotive ranking and comparison website – Total Car Score announced that Infiniti as the number one scoring brand on its listing of the “Top 10 Best Car Brands for 2012″ in USA.

The study, which focuses on the strength of a brand’s overall product range, is based on numerical ratings for 2012 model year vehicles by independent automotive media and reviewers.  Infiniti vehicles averaged a Total Car Score of 82.09.  Infiniti was followed by Mercedes-Benz, Buick, Aud1 and Lexus.

“The list provides a data-driven assessment of which automakers are producing the most desirable, highest quality cars, crossovers, SUVs and pickup trucks,” said Total Car Score Editor in Chief Karl Brauer in announcing the results.

“Ranking first in the Total Car Score Top 10 is validation of our efforts to produce a total lineup of Inspired Performance vehicles, not just one or two great cars,” said Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore.  “Infiniti has always maintained one of the freshest, most dynamic product lineups in the industry and it’s heartening to receive this important acknowledgment by Total Car Score.”