2020 INFINITI Q50 Red Sport 400

The compact executive sedan needs to appeal to all sorts of buyers. It has to be a vehicle that is dynamically attractive to the enthusiasts, to the young professionals looking to buy into their first premium vehicle, and to a more mature audience that want a vehicle that doesn’t take itself too seriously. This is where INFINITI steps in with their compact car, the Q50. It’s been on sale since 2014, and was updated in 2016. This update introduced the Red Sport 400 as the new top model for the Q50’s. This is the sports sedan version of the Q50 featuring the same 3.0L twin-turbocharged V6 found in the other Q50’s, but is tuned to pump out an intoxicating 400 horsepower and 350lb/ft of torque. With this engine, the power is sent to a seven-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system. For the 2020 model year, all of the Q50’s will have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration as standard. The Q50 may be an appealing car to most buyers, but the Red Sport 400 is undoubtedly built for enthusiasts.

 
Alongside the engine, Red Sport 400 will bring along a long list of other changes to the Q50. To start with the exterior, the revisions include different exhaust tips, a painted trunk-lid spoiler and diffuser, a restyled front bumper and red ’S’ badging found throughout the car. Inside, the Red Sport upgrades continue with leather sport seats that feature electrically-operated side bolsters that tighten or loosen to fit the driver's body type. Mounted onto the steering wheel, metallic grey painted paddles can be used to change gears manually. As a driver’s car, the most predominant feature of the experience is the engine. There is no sense of turbocharging with this Red Sport 400 even though one of the major revisions to this motor, in comparison to the regular Q50’s, was the massive increase of turbo boost from 9.5psi to 14.7psi. A long list of different driving modes, and further customization to the steer-by-wire system in the Red Sport, allow the driver to fine-tune their car to their desired tastes.

 
Despite the more assertive character of the Red Sport, INFINITI’s premium experience is still fully intact. With the soft leather seats found on the seats, steering wheel and the door cards, the driver and passengers will have the chance to enjoy these wonderful surfaces. This particular model features a unique diamond quilting throughout the vehicle that impresses all that see and feel it.

 
The new 2020 models of the Q50 are now arriving on the dealership floor. The various trims of the standard Q50 and the Red Sport 400’s are available to test drive today at INFINITI Gallery in the Northwest Auto Mall.