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Infiniti to get Leaf-based electric sedan after all

Infiniti suffered a huge blow a few weeks ago when CEO Johan de Nysschen jumped ship after two years on the job to take the helm at Cadillac. As boss, he spearheaded change within the Japanese luxury brand and was among the biggest champions of the Q50 Eau Rouge. However, the company is far from sunk. Plans put in place prior to de Nysschen leaving are still on the table, according to Nissan product planner Andy Palmer to Automotive News, and that could mean a rosy future for the once AWOL LE sedan (pictured above) and other models.
Back in 2012, Infiniti promised that it would have the LE on the market as a premium electric sedan by 2014. It was supposed to share the battery pack with the Nissan Leaf but with a more powerful, 134-horsepower motor. But have you seen one on the road recently? The luxury EV was eventually shelved, but de Nysschen pledged the idea wasn't dead. Maybe now is a better time for it. According to Automotive News, the LE is rescheduled to launch in 2017 or 2018. The latest version would use the Leaf platform but with a more potent, next-gen battery to give it a range over 90 miles.
Of course, the LE isn't the only thing on the way from Infiniti; it also appears to be planning a two-pronged approach for small cars. Palmer recently tweeted that the company would build the forthcoming Q30 hatchback and QX30 crossover in the UK in 2015. Additionally, the automaker is firing up a new joint venture factory in Mexico with Mercedes-Benz; building compact models there starting in 2017. According Automotive News, the Mexican-built models will be more US-focused while the UK-built ones will appeal more to Europeans.

2021 Infiniti QX80 gets simultaneously more and less expensive

Infiniti has released pricing for the 2021 QX80, and the brand's range-topping SUV sails into the new model year with revisions to its trim lineup and minor equipment changes. The starting price of the QX80 rises, but the asking price for the fanciest version is lower for 2021. The entry-level QX80 is again the Luxe, and in rear-wheel-drive form, it starts at $70,445 (with $1,395 destination) or $73,545 with all-wheel drive. Both figures represent an increase of $2,300 over 2020. A new middle-level trim is the Premium Select, and it steps in for last year's Edition 30 model, featuring that version's dark-chrome exterior accents and 22-inch wheels. Prices for the QX80 Premium Select are $74,745 (RWD) and $77,845 (AWD), which are $3,100 more than last year. For those with a hankering for the very finest of QX80s, however, the news is better. In place of last year's Limited, the new range-topper is the Sensory, which includes Infiniti's Hydraulic Body Motion Control System. The Sensory is $81,595 with rear-wheel drive and $84,695 with AWD. And while that's not cheap, it's some $8,000 less than what Infiniti was asking for the 2020 Limited. The big tech news for 2021 is the Infiniti's rear camera mirror has higher resolution and a larger viewing surface. Previously standard on the top trim, it's now included on all models. Last year saw the arrival of larger display screens in the dash and the instrument cluster. No changes are on hand in the engine room, where the QX80 continues to be motivated by Nissan's 5.6-liter V8 that makes 400 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque, dispatched by a 7-speed automatic transmission. The 2021 Infiniti QX80 is on sale now. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

MotorWeek revisits 1990 Infiniti Q45

With the one-two punch of the Lexus LS 400 and Infiniti Q45 in the early '90s, Japanese automakers started taking the fight directly to the established V8-powered German flagships on American roads. Here, we get MotorWeek's take on the latter and probably lesser known of those luxury sedans. While not so impressive today, the Q45's 4.5-liter V8 with 278 horsepower and 292 pound-feet of torque was pretty good by the contemporary standards. The big sedan was also offered with an optional all-wheel steering system that made the model quite a capable handler. The rear end even stepped out a just little during MotorWeek's slalom. Unfortunately, styling is very polarizing with these early sedans. Where the early LS looks planted with its big, chunky lines on the outside, the Infiniti is a bit more delicate. The design just doesn't scream about being a flagship sedan. The interior doesn't help sell the car as the top of luxury, either. While MotorWeek likes some of the amenities inside, there are complains about the reused switches from the Nissan Maxima and the extensive use of plastic, rather than wood. With Infiniti now having its sights on the global premium market and soon entering the compact segment, it's fascinating to see the very roots of the brand.