Infiniti Q50 revealed

This is the Infiniti Q50, which starts a new chapter for Nissan’s luxury brand at the Detroit Motor Show. The BMW 3 Series and Lexus IS rival is the first model to feature the new Infiniti naming system, which sees all future saloons, coupes and convertibles use the 'Q' prefix, while all the SUVs will use 'QX'.

In keeping with Infiniti's design strategy, the Q50 favours curves over the sharper bodywork of its German rivals, and takes plenty of influence from the Essence concept show at the Geneva Motor Show in 2009, and more recently the all-electric LE which debuted at the New York Motor Show in 2012.

A curvaceous 'double arch' grille marks out the Q50's nose, while design flourishes include twin exhaust tailpipes and an inverted crescent-shaped kink in the C-pillar.

On the inside, thinner seats and a greater range of adjustability means there's more head and legroom for all passengers, while active noise cancellation, via the Bose sound system, comes as standard.

There's also a pioneering twin screen setup. Most frequently used apps, such as sat-nav, are displayed on the top screen while others are kept on the lower display.

The two screens work together so that, for example, the navigation map can be viewed on the top screen while setting destinations or finding points-of-interest can be done down below.

For American customers, the Q50 will be offered with two powertrains; a 323bhp 3.7-litre petrol V6 and a 355bhp 3.5-litre petrol V6-electric hybrid, with the choice of rear or four-wheel drive.

When the Q50 makes it European debut at the Geneva show in March it will be shown with a selection of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines better suited to European tastes.

Multi-link suspension, available with standard or sports dampers, will ensure the Q50 responds well from behind the wheel, while a new Direct Adaptive Steering system is fitted for the first time. It allows drivers to select not just the weight of the steering, but how quick the ratio is too.

As part of Inifiniti's sponsorship of Red Bull F1, drivers Sebastien Vettel and Sebastien Buemi both helped to develop the chassis at the Nurburgring and at Infiniti’s Tochigi facility in Japan. So, could this be the car to challenge the BMW 3 Series as the driver's choice in the segment?