The 2014 Infiniti Q50 may be offered in the U.S. with a 3.7-liter V-6 and a V-6 hybrid, but at the Guangzhou auto show the automaker has just revealed new details on the Q50's Mercedes-sourced turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4. Infiniti says the new engine will be used on the Chinese Q50 starting in spring 2014 before being offered in "other markets."
The Infiniti Q50's new global entry-level gas-powered engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 that in Chinese-spec produces 211 hp at 5500 rpm and 236 lb-ft at 1250-3500 rpm. For comparison, the U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz CLA250 has a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 that produces 208 hp at 5500 rpm and 258 lb-ft from 1250-4000 rpm. The U.S.-spec Q50 with the 3.7-liter V-6 produces 328 hp at 7000 rpm and 269 lb-ft at 5200 rpm.
In the U.S., the 2014 Infiniti Q50 gets up to 20/30 mpg city/highway in V-6 form and up to 29/36 mpg in V-6 hybrid form. Not everyone needs the Q50S V-6's 5.2-second 0-60 mph time or the car's high-$30,000 base price, though, and that's where a turbo-four-powered U.S.-spec Q50 could come in. For now, Infiniti continues to produce the G37 at a lower price than the Q50, and will soon have the front-drive-based Q30.
One engine definitely not coming to the U.S.-spec Q50 is the European model's 2.2-liter turbodiesel I-4, with 168 hp from 3200-4200 rpm and 295 lb-ft at 1600-2800 rpm. Now that you've seen the Chinese-spec details of the Q50's turbo-four engine, tell us: Should Infiniti bring that engine to the U.S.?
The U.S.-spec 2014 Infiniti Q50 is pictured below.
Source: Infiniti
I’ve come a long way since I drove sugar packets across restaurant tables as a kid, pretending they were cars. With more than 17 years of experience, I'm passionate about demystifying the new car market for shoppers and enthusiasts. My expertise comes from thoughtfully reviewing countless vehicles across the automotive spectrum. The greatest thrill I get isn’t just from behind the wheel of an exotic car but from a well-executed car that’s affordable, entertaining, and well-made. Since about the time I learned to walk I’ve been fascinated by cars of all shapes and sizes, but it wasn’t until I struggled through a summer high school class at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design that I realized writing was my ticket into the automotive industry. My drive to high school was magical, taking me through a beautiful and winding canyon; I've never lost the excited feeling some 16-year-olds get when they first set out on the road. The automotive industry, singing, and writing have always been my passions, but because no one seeks a writer who sings about the automotive industry, I honed my writing and editing skills at UC Irvine (zot zot!), serving as an editor of the official campus newspaper and writing stories as a literary journalism major. At USC, I developed a much greater appreciation for broadcast journalists and became acquainted with copy editing rules such as why the Oxford comma is so important. Though my beloved 1996 Audi A4 didn’t survive my college years, my career with MotorTrend did. I started at the company in 2007 building articles for motorcycle magazines, soon transitioning to writing news posts for MotorTrend’s budding online department. I spent some valuable time in the copy editing department, as an online news director, and as a senior production editor. Today, MotorTrend keeps me busy as the Buyer's Guide Director. Not everyone has a career centered on one of their passions, and I remind myself all the time how lucky I am.
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