I drove the Q50, and it should not to be underestimated. It
may only be a “small” DOHC 2.0l turbo engine with a 7 speed automatic setup,
but for a lack of anything clever to think off, I decided to go with this simple
explanation – it’s the best car I drove in long time.
I never felt the car running out of breath, never
experienced the automatic gearbox being in the wrong gear, or even staying in a
selected gear for too long. Even at 200km/h + it still went. I ran out of road
at about 220, but even then it felt that it had more to give.
Even when driving like a complete asshole, I never once felt
the electronic aids interfere, never once felt that some electronic overlord
was thinking for me. Never once thought this was a Nissan in formal wear. In fact,
I was smiling like a kid who has just seen his first pair of breasts.
There is one downfall; it becomes very light at high speeds.
At about 160 km/h the driver needs to start taking care in making very small,
smooth movements to keep it in a straight line, and don’t think that big slow
bend is going to be forgiving, one minor overcorrection on the steering wheel
and you might end up arse first in oncoming traffic. But you will be smiling.
This has to be the first car that live up to what it says in
the brochures.
Interior
I expected buttons to adjust my seating position, but that
is what makes the Q50 special. It has levers, and within seconds my seat was
adjusted and set up, a few seconds more, and everything was perfect. I would
have liked a little more padding on the side of the seat to make it feel more
bucket-seat like, but there was nothing wrong with the way it was. It
comfortably kept me in place while driving like a bat out of hell. It is after
all not a race car.
There is also an array of screens, one to operate the
vehicle settings, things like suspension stiffness, steering responsiveness,
all with a nifty “INTEL INSIDE” logo, and one for the radio and rear-view
camera. Nothing looks out of place, nothing feels cheap, and everything fits
in. The backlight of the screens did not bother me at all during night driving,
but I suspect it may become bothersome if you are fussy.
I did not really have time to, or any interest for that
matter, to learn how things work. For instance, I could not find the handbrake.
I could not / was not bothered to figure out how to switch off the radio, so I muted
it. I did not see anything to switch the lights on or off. Let’s be clear on
what I have just written – given enough time, and a manual, I most likely would
have found the things, or reasoning behind it. This is me, not the Infiniti .
The car is quiet, and even when hammered, the engine noise
is not intrusive, and quite melodic. And if you don’t care about any of that,
the clarity and quality of the entertainment system is excellent, and if that
doesn’t satisfy you, the comfort should be quite enough. If that still doesn’t
tickle your needs, then you should probably move on. This is sophistication
with a huge ego and selfishness.
Exterior
It’s beautiful, elegant and stylish. It demands a presence,
yet does not impose. I suspect it will keep turning heads for years to come,
and may very well be one of the few cars that will keep on turning heads 30
years from now. Enough said.
Features
There are too many too mention, but it includes heated
exterior mirrors, scratch shield paint, Bluetooth Audio streaming, Active Noise
control, driver manual lumbar supported seats, Run Flat tyres, Reverse camera,
voice recognition system, front and rear parking sensors, Stop Start system,
hill start assist, dual zone climate control, and the other things I see as
standard. Things like ABS, EBD, traction control, semi-hard on etc…
In short. It is brilliant.
It’s not badly priced either. With a starting price of R475,200
and a car built to satisfy your senses, I find little fault with this beauty.
It is a real rare gem in sea of cars, because it captures your soul. It truly is,
in every essence, everything a car can be.
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