Infiniti Motor Co. is working on fixing its Achilles' heel — a sparse and aging product portfolio.
Last year, the Japanese luxury brand redesigned its bestseller, the QX60, and introduced the QX55 two-row sporty crossover.
Infiniti's next focus: bring electrification to the lineup.
FUTURE PRODUCT PIPELINE: Want to keep up with the latest product planning news? Go to Automotive News' regularly updated database of product plans for brands that sell in the United States.At the brand's make meeting at the NADA Show in March, Infiniti Motor Co. Chairman Payman Kargar offered a peek at the road ahead.
"We are working on the next generations of the models we are going to have for the midterm and long-term plan of the brand," Kargar told Automotive News after the meeting. "We want to make sure that every single model we bring to the market will be a wow product."
Parent Nissan Motor Co. has announced it will build an Infiniti-branded sedan at its Canton, Miss., plant starting in 2025.
That model will replace Infiniti's entry model, the Q50 sports sedan. The vehicle teased in a brief video features a sedan-like profile, a sloping roofline, and new headlight and taillight designs.
The following year will bring Infiniti its first electric crossover.
Unlike some luxury automakers, Infiniti is taking a measured path to an all-electric future, continuing to offer new and redesigned combustion engine models.
It's a reflection of how the brand sees EV adoption taking off.
"Even by 2030 ... in the U.S., you would have a big part of the customers still requesting non-electrified cars," Kargar said.
But whatever the powertrain, Kargar said the luxury brand will be "the best Nissan Motor Co. is offering."
"We are going to make this happen in every single area," the executive said, including product design, technology and customer experience.
Electric midsize crossover: The EV could arrive in 2026. It is inspired by the 2019 Infiniti QX Inspiration concept that featured a grille-less front fascia dominated by an illuminated Infiniti logo, thin headlamp strips that featured laser-like etchings and a wing-shaped light strip that ran across the tailgate.
QX80: The large SUV should receive a redesign in mid-2024. One dealer described the updated model as a beefed-up and boxier version of the redesigned QX60.
QX60: Infiniti's bestseller received a makeover with an updated powertrain and more muscular styling last year. The three-row midsize crossover, powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 engine, pumps out 295 hp. A new nine-speed transmission delivers improved acceleration and a smoother driving experience.
The nameplate's second generation features a raised hood profile, larger grille, dual 12.3-inch screens, and a two-tone roof. A freshen comes in 2025.
Midsize crossover coupe: Based on the QX60, a new two-row midsize crossover may join the Infiniti line in 2026 to compete with the likes of the Lexus RX and Mercedes-Benz GLE.
QX50: The compact crossover, redesigned in 2018, features a variable-compression engine that delivers V-6-like performance from a four-cylinder. The current generation of the QX50 ends in 2025, and a battery-powered model could replace it.
QX55: Production of the crossover coupe launched last year based on the QX50 and sharing design elements with it. It is expected to end in 2026.
EV sedan: The Japan-made Q50 sports sedan should be reincarnated mid-decade as a battery-powered model based on the Qs Inspiration sports sedan concept. It features an elevated driving position and all-wheel-drive power. The new EV will be built at Nissan's plant in Mississippi starting in 2025.
Q60: Production of the low-volume, two-door compact sports coupe ends in 2022 with no replacement expected.
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