Best of both worlds is a phrase that we all know the meaning of. But if we had to look for examples that can depict the phrase, we’d be hard-pressed to find even a few. It is a rare occurrence. But recently, on the xBhp PowerTour 2019, we encountered something that may not be the best of both worlds, but it was pretty darn good of both worlds for sure! It’s called an Infiniti Q70. 4 doors, real boot space, commendable amenities in the cabin and so on… Plain luxury-sedan stuff? Yeah, until you hear this. 3.7 L naturally-aspirated V6, that revs to 7,500 rpm and makes 330 bhp of power and 366 Nm of torque, the pistons are molybdenum coated, the transmission is a 7-speed automatic unit, and it has a dual-pipe exhaust! See what we meant?

The Infiniti Q70 comes as quite a surprise, sitting behind the wheel, and we are sure that it’ll be a handful too if not treated with respect. So, what is Infiniti? In the simplest of terms, it is the luxury vehicle division of… Nissan! Ah, the house of Godzilla… now it all makes more sense. You can take Nissan out of the name, but you cannot take Nissan out of the ‘philosophy’. The Q70 is marketed as a midsize luxury sedan, but as we mentioned, it is more than it’s letting you in on. We got a first-hand experience of it in Dubai courtesy of Ekar, a car-sharing platform that lets you drive a car yourself, even if you don’t own one. Cars like the Infiniti Q70… innovative? Quite!

The first glance at the car does not induce nauseating excitement. It’s rather… plain. Not that there’s something wrong with it, but it’s just… plain. Or maybe it was because of the cars that we drove before the Q70… and afterwards! The large grille with the Infiniti insignia on it does well to acquaint the onlookers with its ethnicity. The side, again, the same feeling. It isn’t particularly captivating. Move the rear, and it goes from plain Jane to hot vamp in the matter of a few steps. The taillight is beautifully done, the spoiler is minimalistic yet depictive of the capabilities of the car, the same applies to the rear diffuser and the dual-exhausts. The rear is a momentous shift from the front of the car, which, we think, implies that with the V6, the onlookers will only get to see the rear. Who knows…

Jump in the car, and the luxury prefix of the body type makes sense. The interior is a beautiful amalgamation of leather, chrome, and modern-day technology. The seat, steering, and side mirrors are all electronically adjustable, but more than that, they have a memory function which can be hooked to what Infiniti refer to as intelligent keys. One push and you have your preferred settings ready. The keys even remember the last used climate settings, last played music and even navigation! Heated steering wheel, silent and spacious cabin, touch-screen infotainment system and a BOSE music system make sure that the car does not feel lacking in the opulence department.

Ekar boasts of being the largest carsharing platform in the Middle East and provides users with on-demand access to over 1,000 cars across the Gulf. The cars can be borrowed on a pay-per-minute or long term basis… daily, weekly or monthly. We got to drive the Infiniti Q70 courtesy of Ekar and had a lot of fun driving it around in Dubai.

Despite all that, the car impresses you the most when it is on the move. The V6 comes to life with a soft and muted burble. Put it in drive and off you go. The engine is super-smooth, and the power delivery is criminally on-point. In the city, it does not feel like a car that, with a few mods, can very well be called a sleeper. The independent double-wishbones on both ends make sure that the ride is pliant and comfortable. But that’s all in the lower-revs. Did we tell you that this car revs to 7,500 rpm? So what happens up there? Fun stuff. The kerb weight of the car is around 1840 kg, so this is certainly not a featherlight car. But considering the equipment onboard, the weight of the car has been well managed. The acceleration is swift, and the Q70 sort of switches its character in the upper rev range. Quite a sly little (not really) car, the Q70. On open roads where it really gets to stretch its legs, the car does not fail to impress with the performance that the V6 packs. The heft and the wheelbase trade some of the handling quickness off. But then, if you want to break the Nurburgring lap record aboard one of these, serious therapy is suggested.

Bored with white-collar jobs and 3-piece suits? Take a break and drive away from the concrete jungle. And ditch the suit for this laid-back shirt and a pair of classic denim jeans from while you are at it. Unwind… with the House of Rare!

Infiniti has already announced that by 2021, all of its vehicles will be powered by either full-electric or hybrid powertrains. So this Q70 may very well be the last of the ICE-powered cocktail of luxury and performance that we get to enjoy. And so, enjoy we did. On the roads and in the sand… the car did not have any objections. So, next time you’re out for a drive in Dubai, Ekar might just be the rental you are looking for; maybe the Q70 will be available. But we do advise against (NOT) tackling sand with it!