Infiniti’s first-ever compact car, the Q30 hatchback, has been confirmed for a debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show, which gets underway September 15. It was at the German show two years ago that Infiniti first previewed the Q30 with a thinly-veiled concept version, and at this year’s show we’ll get to see the version of the car due to enter production at a plant in Sunderland, England this summer.

Shortly after production of the hatch starts, Infiniti will add QX30 production to the plant. The QX30 is a high-riding version of the Q30 and shares its front-wheel-drive MFA platform borrowed from Mercedes-Benz. Both vehicles are due in showrooms next year, as 2017 models. Over in Europe, the new Q30 is expected to reach showrooms by the end of 2015.

Infiniti is in the final stages of preparing the launch. Prototypes are still running across Europe, with most of the work taking place at Infiniti’s engineering hub located in Cranfield, England. Front-wheel drive will be standard and all-wheel drive an option. Power will come from four-cylinder engines and the standard transmission will be a seven-speed automatic.

In the video above, the brand’s design chief Alfonso Albaisa explains how he and his team went about the design of the car.

For more Frankfurt Auto Show coverage, head to our dedicated hub.

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