Infiniti QX30 - New Kid On The Block

The Japanese premium brand bolsters its utility vehicle line-up with a sub-compact crossover. Is it good enough to make a mark in the highly competitive segment?

- Sony Thomas

The global crossover vehicles market has been witnessing incredible growth over the last decade, and this trend shows no sign of abating. In fact, the segment is projected to grow at a rate of over 8 per cent between 2018 and 2022. With this in mind, auto manufacturers are scrambling to cover their bases and partake in what promises to be a lavish sales feast. Nissan’s premium arm Infiniti has had a decent line-up of utility vehicles, from the humongous QX80, the stylish QX70, the practical QX60 and the compact QX50. However, until 2016, it had no player in the all-important sub-compact crossover segment. It’s this gap at the lower end of its utility vehicle range that the Japanese premium brand seeks to fill with the QX30, launched in the Middle East at last year’s Dubai Motor Show and on sale here since early this year.