Nissan Isn't Giving Up on Infiniti

Infiniti sales in the United States peaked in 2017 when Nissan’s luxury brand delivered 153,415 cars. Fast-forward to 2024, demand plummeted to 58,070 units, or 10.2 percent less than the year before. To put that number into perspective, Honda’s Acura brand moved 122,600 vehicles last year. Toyota’s Lexus outsold the two combined, delivering a whopping 345,669 cars. Although the numbers look bad, Nissan isn’t giving up on Infiniti.

When Nissan previewed its vast product lineup this week, it didn’t neglect Infiniti. The intent is to distinguish the two brands further and expand the Infiniti portfolio with fresh products. The QX60 will be updated soon, and there will be a Sport package for the QX80. Not long after, a QX65 will join the crossover-coupe niche and take inspiration from the FX. A fully electric SUV derived from the Vision QXe concept will follow, and it will be made at the Canton, Mississippi factory.

Speaking at the event organized at the R&D center near Tokyo, Nissan Americas’ chief planning officer Ponz Pandikuthira made it crystal clear Infiniti is here to stay: “You don’t invest in a car like QX80 if you’re planning to walk away from Infiniti as a brand. Stay tuned for growth to the Infiniti portfolio.” Automotive News reports the QX60 will be electrified, but without specifying whether through a plug-in hybrid powertrain or Nissan’s E-Power tech.

The third-generation E-Power has only been confirmed for Nissan products: Qashqai in Europe, Rogue in the US, and a large minivan at home in Japan. As with the previous two iterations of E-Power, a gasoline engine will work as a generator to charge a battery. Developed specifically for this application, the new 1.5-liter unit won’t send power to the road. Instead, an electric motor will power the wheels, delivering EV-like behavior. Nissan says the new E-Power is quieter and smoother while boosting fuel economy by 15 percent at higher speeds.

Nissan wants to speed up new car development drastically. Based on the current modus operandi, it takes 55 months to engineer a new model, according to upcoming CEO Ivan Espinosa. For future Nissan and Infiniti models, the goal will be to finalize development in only 37 months. For derivatives, it’ll take 30 months to get the job done. The new boss says a greater focus on sharing platforms and designs will speed things up. Reuters quotes the CEO admitting: "We are slow. This is one of the things we have to face."

Infiniti Vision Qe Concept

Whether Infiniti has what it takes to bounce back remains to be seen, but it sure looks like Nissan is willing to make an effort. Predictably, SUVs lead the charge, although we’d like to see a production version of the swoopy Vision Qe sedan concept.