The 2014 Infiniti Q50 has received a 5-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The rating applies to both standard and hybrid Q50 models, with both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive.
The Q50 includes a host of safety features, from a strategically-strengthened chassis, to a bevy of airbags and a suite of electronic driver aids.
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Among those aids is the new-for-2014 Predictive Forward Collision Warning system, which uses sensors to determine the distance and relative velocity of not just the vehicle ahead, but the one in front of it. Audio and visual warnings let the driver know to slow down.
However, the most talked about feature on the 2014 Q50 is its Direct Adaptive Steering (DAS). This "drive-by-wire" setup eliminates the mechanical connection between the steering mechanism and the wheel, allowing the car to make corrections autonomously.
Tied with Infiniti's lane-departure warning system, DAS can steer the car back into its lane if the driver doesn't heed the system's warnings. This is a more direct--albeit spookier--approach than other automakers' systems, which usually brake the wheels on one side of the vehicle to nudge it back in place. The witchcraft steering can also keep the Q50 centered in its lane without any driver input.
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Two Q50 models are offered. The standard Q50 3.7 has a 3.7-liter V-6 with 328 horsepower, mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. The Q50 Hybrid teams a 3.5-liter V-6 with an electric motor; total system output is 360 hp.
The 2014 Infiniti Q50 is on sale now, with a base price of $37,605 (including destination) for the Q50 3.7 and $44,855 for the Q50 Hybrid.
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