Infiniti teases a luxury crossover concept for Geneva

Nissan's premium automotive brand is looking to inject a little elegance into the world's fastest growing automotive market segment with the QX30 Concept.

Infiniti describes the concept, which will get its full reveal at the Geneva motor show on March 3, as a 'premium compact crossover targeted at a new generation of premium customers.'

And if it's anything like the company's other recent auto show concepts, it will be very close indeed to an actual production model.

The world's leading European premium car makers have already moved into the compact market segment with premium city cars -- such as the Audi A1, Mercedes A-Class and of course, the Mini.

But Infiniti and Lexus, the leading Japanese luxury marques, were becoming conspicuous by their absence. And what better way of making an entrance than with a crossover -- a car that combines proportions and practicality of an agile little coupe with the styling and stance of an off-roader.

However, even there the competition is starting to build. BMW has the X1, Audi has the Q3 and Mercedes recently launched the GLA.

We won't know what exactly the QX30 will deliver until it is revealed in the flesh. However, Infiniti's parent, Nissan, knows a thing or two about making compact and C-segment crossovers that chime with consumers, such as the Juke and the Qashqai, so things look promising.