Infiniti Q50 Contends for World Car of the Year

2014 Infiniti Q50 S (Credit: © Infiniti)

The all-new 2014 Infiniti Q50 sedan is one of the finalist models contending for World Car of the Year. This marks the first time an Infiniti model has been considered for the prestigious award, and is a big boost for the luxury automaker’s new product alignment.

Infiniti launched the Q50 in North America during the summer of 2013. Since then, the car has picked up multiple awards, both in the United States and abroad. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the model with a Top Safety Pick Plus safety rating, which is the absolute highest given by the organization. The car also was singled out by the staff at “Popular Science” on the “Best of What’s New” list.

Features like the steer-by-wire technology, which is similar to what’s been in use with fighter jets for years, have helped show a new direction for Infiniti. The Q50 was developed with significant input from four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel, who is now the Director of Performance for Infiniti. Other performance increases have helped eliminate vibrations from uneven road surfaces, making the car easier to drive and more comfortable to ride in.

Recently, Infiniti has been hinting at how the Q50’s design will influence other future Infiniti models. The recently unveiled Q30 Concept and the Q50 Eau Rouge Concept both take the design philosophy and put a unique spin on it, which will surely lead to even more awards for Infiniti in the near future.