The QX30 Concept foreshadows an entry in the premium compact segment that provides a stylish alternative to the existing offer in this segment.

Infiniti has been doing the fan dance in recent weeks, dropping one tantalizing tidbit about the new QX30 after another. Finally, at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, it has gone the full monty.

Officially, what the maker unveiled is being dubbed a “concept vehicle.” No surprise, that’s part of the process for Infiniti. But what we see is darn close to what you’ll get when the new compact crossover hits showrooms later this year.

“QX30 Concept foreshadows an entry in the premium compact segment that provides a stylish alternative to the existing offer in this segment,” said Roland Krueger, Infiniti president and CEO. “The vehicle embodies our conviction to give customers the freedom to go wherever they want, whenever they want – in a style that turns heads and makes a statement, in a way that expresses their individualized character.”

We already had a sense of déjà vu when the first QX30 teaser images began landing in our e-mailbox earlier this year. And for good reason. It’s a taller, beefier version of the Q30 concept Infiniti unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in autumn 2013.

The Infiniti QX30 concept has some obvious "Infiniti" design cues and will share a platform for small cars from Mercedes.

Both models share some obvious Infiniti design cues, such as the large, ovoid grille and the crescent kick to the rear pillar. But, at least in this concept version, the QX30 has a lot more curves and creases than current Infiniti products.

“The satin chrome front bumper is low with big side openings, giving off an air of rugged protection,” Infiniti noted. “The sense of stylish fortification is reinforced by the hardy kick plates under the doors and the tough-looking but sculpted skid plate in the rear.”

(Infiniti reveals new QX30 concept ahead of Geneva. For more, Click Here.)

As to what’s next, both QX30 and Q30 will be going into production by the end of 2015. And, in a significant development, both will share their underlying platform with some of the new small cars being built by Mercedes-Benz.

“We wanted the spontaneous fluidity of the QX30 Concept design to cut through the urban clutter and rigidity, reflecting its go-anywhere and spur-of-the-moment nature,” Infiniti’s executive design director, Alfonso Albaisa, said recently.

The QX30 Concept is a “soft-roader,” designed for what automotive planners like to call “urban adventurers,” but it emphasizes its capabilities – and differentiates itself from the Q30 show car – with it skid plate and aluminum-trimmed front bumper. It also features carbon fiber trim for such exterior components as its roof bars and cladding.

The Infiniti QX30 concept is likely not too far off from what you see when it introduces its next compact crossover.

(Click Here for details about Infiniti’s latest management shake up.)

But the most critical difference between the two models isn’t immediately visible. The QX30 will go with an all-wheel-drive powertrain, rather than the front-drive layout of the Q30.

The official unveiling of the QX30 doesn’t complete the story. Among the questions left unanswered: what will motivate the SUV and its near-twin Q30?

Both models, Infiniti hinted, “are designed to be matched with a wide range of powertrains, both gasoline and diesel. The array of powerplants is expected to cater to a variety of lifestyle aspirations around the world, depending on whether customers prefer a sportier or a more efficient drive.”

(To see more about thew new Q60 topping 400 horsepower, Click Here.)

In other words, stay tuned for more details – and a production version to be revealed, almost certainly, by mid-year.

Compact crossovers make up the fastest-growing segment in the global auto industry, and a wide range of mainstream manufacturers have begun flooding the market with new entries, including the likes of the Lexus NX and Lincoln MKC, on the luxury end. Cadillac has made it a priority to come up with a version of its own. And German makers are rapidly filling in every possible “white space” with compact CUV variants.

Infiniti is betting that the production version of the QX30 will flesh out its line-up and grow it beyond its role as a primarily U.S.-based Tier II luxury brand.

Infiniti is betting that the production version of the QX30 will not only flesh out its line-up but help it gain traction in a bid to grow beyond its traditional role as a primarily U.S.-based Tier II luxury brand.

To get there, Infiniti is relying on the fast-expanding alliance between its Japanese parent, Nissan Motor Co., France’s Renault, and Germany’s Daimler AG. In this case, both the Q30 and QX30 will be powered by the small luxury vehicle architecture originally developed by Daimler’s Mercedes brand for such models as the CLA sedan and GLA compact crossover. Sharing the underlying platform helps both manufacturers cut costs while offering a broader range of products.

At least initially, plans call for the two new Infiniti models to be produced solely out of the maker’s plant in Sunderland, U.K. The Q30 will begin rolling down the line first, by mid-2015, the QX30 following “shortly thereafter” according to an Infiniti planning document. The plant will supply markets in Europe, the U.S., China and other parts of the world.

Mercedes and Infiniti also have teamed up to build a new assembly plant in Mexico. It will be based alongside a more mainstream factory in the central city of Aguascalientes.

The partners have been vague about specific production plans for the luxury plant, other than to say it will use the “next-generation” Mercedes compact luxury car architecture. Whether that would mean updated versions of the Q30 and QX30 or some yet-to-be-revealed addition to Infiniti’s small vehicle line-up remains to be seen.