2014 Infiniti Q50 Receives Five-Star Overall Safety Rating from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Dec. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2014 Infiniti Q50 luxury sports sedan has received an overall five-star safety rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

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Both the Infiniti Q50 3.7 and Q50 Hybrid models, including rear- and all-wheel drive versions, were recognized for their safety performance during government testing.

"We're pleased with NHTSA's recognition of Infiniti's efforts to develop some of the safest cars on the road," said Infiniti Americas Vice President Michael Bartsch. "The Q50 offers elegant design, inspired performance and 'Five-Star' safety. In particular, the Q50 is also the platform for us to introduce a number of world's first safety technologies including Active Lane Control (ALC) and Predictive Forward Collision Warning (PFCW)."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and its Five-Star Safety Ratings Program provide buyers with information about the overall safety of new vehicles beyond what is mandated by the federal government. Five-star is the highest possible rating for any new vehicle. NHTSA is the only organization that rates rollover resistance.

2014 Infiniti Q50 Safety Features
All 2014 Infiniti Q50 models come standard with a host of active and passive safety features. Strategically constructed from ultra high strength steel, the Q50 uses zone body construction, creating a reinforced passenger compartment and front and rear crumple zones that act effectively as a safety cage to help protect both the driver and his or her passengers. In addition to using special materials, the Q50 comes standard with Infiniti's Advanced Air Bag System (AABS), front seat-mounted side impact supplemental air bags and standard roof-mounted curtain side impact supplemental air bags for front and rear-seat outboard occupant head protection. The combination of each of these helps to give additional peace of mind to the driver and passengers.  

A number of world's first safety technologies debuted on the new Q50 and are also available. Predictive Forward Collision Warning (PFCW) helps warn drivers of certain risks that lie beyond their field of view. It senses not only the relative velocity and distance of a vehicle directly ahead, but also of a vehicle travelling in front of the preceding one, providing audible and visual warnings when traffic may be slowing ahead.

Working in conjunction with the world's first steer-by-wire system in a production car – Direct Adaptive Steering (DAS) – Infiniti incorporated three separate systems that help drivers avoid dangerous "lane drift." Using a small camera installed in front of the rear view mirror that detects lane markers in the road, Lane Departure Warning (LDW) alerts drivers with an audible and visual warning when he or she starts to drift out of a lane while driving at certain speeds. If the driver does not heed LDW's warning, Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) provides the next layer of protection helping to ease the vehicle back toward the center of the lane by providing small electronic steering input changes on vehicles equipped with DAS.

Another world's first technology which debuted on the Q50 as an available option, Infiniti's Active Lane Control (ALC), also helps ensure the car stays centered in the lane. Utilizing the same camera-based system used in LDP and LDW to monitor the lanes ahead, ALC also utilizes the electronic steering function of DAS to help keep the car centered by making minor corrections for crosswind, crown and even slight curves in the road.

For additional information on any of these systems, or for a full description of all of Infiniti's advanced safety features found in the new Q50, visit www.infinitiusa.com.

About Infiniti
Infiniti Motor Company LTD. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in approximately 50 countries. The Infiniti brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan and the United States. Production in China and Europe will start soon along with the expansion of the brand's portfolio.

As the Title Partner and Vehicle Performance Partner of Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Infiniti has a far-reaching technical collaboration with the Formula One team, and Sebastian Vettel, its four-time World Champion driver, serves as Infiniti's Director of Performance.

Infiniti offers a full-line of luxury performance automobiles that inspire at every turn, including the all-new Q50 luxury sports sedan, Q60 coupe and convertible, Q70 performance luxury sedan, QX50 luxury crossover, QX60 7-passenger luxury crossover, QX70 performance luxury crossover and the QX80 full-size luxury SUV.

More information about Infiniti, its Total Ownership Experience^® and its industry leading technologies can be found at www.infinitiusa.com. For the latest news on Infiniti, visit www.infinitinews.com, "like" Infiniti on Facebook, and follow the brand on Twitter @infinitiusa.

SOURCE Infiniti