New Infiniti Q60 Coupe Begins Production In Japan

Infiniti’s all-new Q60, has officially begun production at the company’s manufacturing facility in Tochigi, Japan. Succeeding the G Coupe as Infiniti’s third-generation compact executive coupe, the Q60 is positioned to take on the likes of the BMW 4 Series, Audi A5, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe.

A Daimler-sourced 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit producing 208hp and 350Nm keeps the Q60 in line with current engine downsizing trends, but the headline engine is a new 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 offered with a choice between 300hp / 400Nm and 400hp / 475Nm power ratings. Mated with 7-speed automatic transmissions as standard, the Q60 can be had in either rear- or rear-biased all-wheel drive configurations.

Succeeding the long-running and award-winning Nissan VQ engine family, the new VR engine is built in a lighter and more compact cylinder block – it is over 14kg lighter than the outgoing 3.7-litre unit. A high-pressure direct injection system helps it achieve a 6.7% improvement in fuel economy over the preceding engine.

The Q60’s chassis is highly digitalized, featuring the second-generation version of the Direct Adaptive Steering (steer-by-wire) system that Infiniti pioneered in the Q50, as well as electronic dampers.

Sharp angles adorning the Q60’s bodywork had necessitated improvements to the manufacturing techniques employed by Infiniti. The trunk-lid, for example, is a hybrid combination of a resin skin on a steel frame that requires the utilization of a new deep-body stamping technique to manufacture. The advantage of this design is that it gives Infiniti designers added freedom to develop shapes that can be moulded into a single part.

Another major enhancement implemented to the plant is a new dedicated paint booth to finish the car in its ‘Dynamic Sandstone Red’ communication colour. Similar to Mazda’s equally distinctive ‘Soul Red’ shade, Infiniti’s new glossy deep red finish requires finer control of its thickness and quality achieved through a combination of machine and manual processes.

The 216 highly-skilled Takumi working at the dedicated Infiniti production line in Nissan’s Tochigi plant are master craftsmen selected from the very best among the facility’s 4,500-strong workforce. They are specially-trained in premium vehicle manufacturing and are blessed with high levels of technical knowledge.

Local sources have indicated that the Q60 could reach Malaysian shores by 2017.

Recently, Infiniti has teamed up with Game of Thrones star Kit Harington to promote the Q60.