Infiniti offers dealers peek at new EV, QX65

Infiniti served its product-starved dealers a taste of the future at the brand's make meeting at the NADA Show last week.

The Japanese luxury automaker provided a peek at two new models — a two-row crossover and an all-electric sedan — headed into Infiniti's skimpy lineup mid-decade.

The QX65 crossover, which will go on sale in 2025, shares a platform with Infiniti's volume model, the midsize QX60.

But from a design perspective, the new coupe-like crossover "looks nothing like" the boxy, three-row QX60, said a dealer who attended the meeting and requested he not be identified.

The QX65 carries new design elements, including a larger grille, highlighted in the next-generation QX80 that arrives next year.

The dealer said that the D-segment crossover addresses a market previously served by the Infiniti QX70 and will help the struggling brand win new customers.

He said the QX65 is a "true Lexus RX350 fighter" and can potentially be a sales engine for Infiniti. Lexus sold more than 96,000 RX crossovers last year.

At the meeting, Infiniti revealed more about its first EV, which was teased only in silhouette last year.

The dealer described the large sedan with a swoopy fastback design as a "striking evolution" of Infiniti's discontinued Q70 sedan.

The EV has a longer wheelbase than the Q70 sedan but features shorter overhangs because of its battery powertrain. It will be built alongside a Nissan-branded electric sedan at Nissan Motor Co.'s Canton, Miss., plant.

Infiniti's decision to launch its EV lineup with a sedan is a head-scratcher, given the overwhelming demand for larger vehicles in the U.S.

"A crossover would be the better way to go," the dealer said. "But I think they're doing it because we have a big void in sedans."

Infiniti has just one car model in production — the sporty Q50.

Also shown at the meeting was Infiniti's redesigned QX80 flagship SUV. The next-generation model arrives in U.S. stores next year.

The new QX80 features a more prominent grille, recessed door handles, and redesigned headlights and taillights.

"It has a big presence," the dealer source said. "The interior is spectacular."

The new QX80 dashboard is anchored by a large display that combines the instrument cluster and infotainment screen.

Craig Keeys, group vice president of Infiniti Americas, vowed to deliver new vehicles at a regular cadence.

"My vision is to give our retailers something new to talk about every year," Keeys told Automotive News after the make meeting. "It might not be a full-on, all-new model, but at least a refresh or special edition."

That will no doubt be music to Infiniti's retailers.

"Product is king," Steve Lapin, Infiniti National Dealer Advisory Board chairman, told Automotive News late last year. "There's not one Infiniti dealer in the country that's not disappointed about not having more product."

Nick Bunkley contributed to this report.