The Q50 sedan is Infiniti’s best-selling model, having sold nearly 210,000 examples around the world since its launch for the 2013 model year. Now for the 2018 model year, the car receives some updated technology, an improved interior, and some slight visual tweaks to keep it current. In addition, the Q50 receives every active driving aid Infiniti can include, making the sedan the most technologically advanced in the brand’s lineup.

When introducing the 2018 Q50 at the 2017 Geneva International Motor Show, Infiniti president Roland Krueger said, “Infiniti seeks to empower our customers on their journey through their experience with us – whether it is our products, our technologies, our services, or simply a passion for driving. There is no better vehicle that incorporates all the elements of the Infiniti brand than the Q50 saloon.”

It seems Nissan is pouring more money and paying more attention to its luxury/sport brand. Now much of the Q50 remains unchanged. It’s basic design, its interior, and even the powertrain lineup are all familiar. The devil is in the details, in this case. You’ll have to look closely to spot the changes, but the updates certainly seem to help the Q50’s quest at competing with the German and American big-wigs.

Keep reading to see what has changed for the 2018 model year.

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What’s Changed for 2018

The Q50’s two exterior designs are both updated for 2018. Both the standard sedan and the high-performance Red Sport 400 receive a modified front fascia that not only looks better but supposedly features improve aerodynamics. The Red Sport 400 also boasts a more athletic appearance with its “zero lift” aerodynamic design.

All models now have LED headlights Infiniti says mimics the human eye in appearance. LED taillights are present, too, and borrow inspiration from the Q60 sports coupe.

The Red Sport 400 rolls on 19-inch wheels unique to the trim. Other bespoke features include the two-tone exhaust pipes that feature the body color, along with the body-color rear diffuser. The side mirrors, front aero bits, and lower rear fascia are coated in a piano black finish.

Though the interior continues with the same overall design, many of the details have been highly massaged for a more high-end appearance. This includes the leather seats, with Infiniti’s Spinal Support system for long-distance comfort by relieving pressure on muscles in the lower and upper back. The leather-wrapped dash, center console, seats, steering, wheel, and door panels all feature French stitching in a contrasting color. The accents are now a brushed aluminum-like material with a textured finish. An updated steering wheel now features more pronounced thumb groves and improved fingertip access to controls and paddle shifters.

The Q50 continues to use Infiniti’s InTouch infotainment system. It incorporated two screens – and eight-inch upper screen and a seven-inch lower screen – to organize data by touch and view. The top screen is predominantly for viewing, while the lower screen is mostly intended for touch-activated features. Like many cars today, the Q50 allows multiple drivers to preserve their favorite settings via a smart key fob system. Infiniti calls its system the I-Key. Entertainment options include a 16-speaker Bose Performance Series sound system, with Bose’s CenterPoint 2.0 software.

The Q50 is the first vehicle to group all Infiniti’s driver support technologies into one place. It’s called Propel Assist, and it will make its way into the 2019 model year Q50s in Europe. In the meantime, Infiniti’s ProPilot system is the basis for all future autonomous driving aids. ProPilot includes Direct Adaptive Steering; Active Lane Control; Intelligent Cruise Control; Distance Control Assist; Backup Collision Intervention; Blind Spot Warning and Intervention; Lane Departure Warning and Prevention; Forward Emergency Braking; and Predictive Forward Collision Warning. Infiniti says it doesn’t want to replace the driver, but rather to “empower” the driver.

Under the hood, the 2018 Infiniti Q50 is powered by the carry-over 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6. The engine hails from Nissan’s VR engine family, which has won awards like inclusion on Ward’s “10 Best Engines” list for 2017. The engine produces 400 horsepower (hints the name) and 350 pound-feet of torque. Much credit can be given turbochargers’ placement near the exhaust manifolds, which in turn, help eliminate any turbo lag. Both the standard Q50 and Red Sport 400 can be had with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

Other Q50 trims make use of other engine options. These include two four-cylinder engines – one running on gasoline, and the other on diesel – and a V-6 hybrid powertrain. The 2.0-liter gasoline four-cylinder kicks out 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The 2.2-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder makes 168 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid model combines Infiniti’s familiar 3.5-liter V-6 with a 50 kW electric motor and a lithium-ion battery for a total system output of 360 horsepower.

The Q50 continues to ride on Infiniti’s Dynamic Digital Suspension system. New for this year are updated active dampers, which deliver customizable setting programmed through the driver-selectable Drive Mode Selector on the center console. The modes include Personal, Standard, Snow, Eco, Sport, and Sport+.

Infiniti will begin selling the 2018 Q50 during the second quarter of 2017. Pricing has not been released yet, but expect Infiniti to stick close to the Q50’s current pricing. Currently, the 2017 model in the U.S. ranges from $33,950 to $50,700 for the Red Sport 400 with AWD.

read our full review on the Infiniti Q50 here.