Road test: Infiniti Q70 2.2d Sport

Infiniti, Nissan’s nom de plume for its luxury models, has been around for a bit, without quite catching the British public’s imagination.

Originally conceived as an answer to Toyota’s Lexus, Infiniti has been selling cars in the US for years, finally arriving in Britain during the recession with a range perhaps more tailored to American and Far Eastern tastes than BMW and Mercedes-buying Europeans.

Models such as the gargantuan QX70 4x4 still rather fall into that category but the Mercedes C-Class sized Q50 is far more compelling — and not that long ago, Infiniti gave its bigger, E-Class-rivalling M70 a bit of a makeover, re-christening it Q70 in the process and offering it with a 2.2-litre diesel for the first time.

Externally, the car has a certain slightly brutish presence, with the styling changes Infiniti has unleashed on its nose and tail making it better looking than before. It’s all very well finished and assembled, and although perhaps a little narrow the interior is a comfortable, thoroughly civilised, leather and wood-lined cocoon.

This hefty car grips well, handles tidily and rides with a Germanic firmness. Its seven-speed, self-shifting transmission has a slightly rubbery surging feeling when starting off from rest but otherwise goes about its business quickly and unobtrusively.

This is a nice car, and one that is a lot more competitive than its immediate predecessor. However, compared with some of its younger rivals, it feels just a little off the pace.