With its QX30 set to go on sale here around the middle of 2016, Infiniti has announced trim levels for its first-ever compact crossover model. We got our first look at the concept version in March 2015, prior to its official unveiling at April’s New York auto show.

One immediate distinction between Infiniti’s North American plan for its first modern foray into a luxury compact segment is that we will not get the Q30 model offered in other markets. Instead, the version bearing that name elsewhere will be positioned as the entry-level QX30, that ‘X’ belying the car’s front-wheel drive layout.

It’s a similar deal for the mid-range QX30S: also front-drive, and also offered on other continents as the Q30S, this variant (revealed at November’s LA auto show) gets a lower stance, more aggressive front and rear fascias, cross-drilled front brake rotors, and 19-inch wheels shod with performance tires.

Topping the range is the QX30 AWD, which rides on a raised suspension and wears front and rear valence panels. Infiniti says those design cues, plus an “intelligent” all-wheel drive system, provide improved off-road ability that makes this version of the car suited to “urban, suburban, and winding rural roads in all driving conditions.”

All three variants use a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine (208 hp/258 lb-ft of torque) and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that comes from the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class from which the QX30 borrows its platform and running gear. Watch for pricing information closer to the QX30’s summer 2016 launch.

Designed for a new generation of buyers who are not willing to be defined by their choice of vehicle body type, the Infiniti QX30 challenges convention with its bold character and daring shape.

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