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Production Infiniti QX50 will mostly look like the concept

At this year's Detroit auto show, we got a look at the nearly production-ready Infiniti QX50 concept. Now we get our first look at how close to production the concept was, thanks to new spy photos. The overall shape remains very similar to that of the curvy concept. However, the greenhouse looks taller with more glass. While it isn't quite as low and aggressive-looking, we're sure drivers will appreciate the small compromise for better visibility. At the front, there are more changes that are a little less subtle. The grille looks a bit smaller all around, and even looks a tad lower than the concept. The headlights also don't stretch as far back, and they aren't as narrow either. In the front bumper, the two side scoops of the concept have been significantly toned down, and now look like more traditional grilles that follow the shape of the bumper. The lower grille is more open with just a mesh insert instead of the concept's skidplate-style chrome bar. Moving to the back, we find the taillights look nearly identical to the concept's. They're very long and narrow, and they connect into a metal crease that looks a bit like a spoiler. It looks as the though the faux skidplate treatment on the rear bumper will also make it to production, but the integrated exhaust tips have given way to more conventional round tips in bumper cutouts. It also may have lost the concept's air vents on each side of the hatch. Though they may have also just been toned down enough that they don't show through the camouflage. When the QX50 hits dealers, it will be available with Infiniti's fascinating variable compression four-cylinder making 268 horsepower. The crossover will also feature a version of Nissan's ProPilot semi-autonomous technology, which has been implemented in the Nissan Serena minivan in Japan. We expect to see the fully revealed production model very soon, possibly by the end of the year. Related Video:

Infiniti puts EV plans on hold again

Think of it as the green-automotive industry's version of Groundhog Day. Nissan's Infiniti division is putting plans for its first mass-production electric vehicle on hold. Again. The Infiniti LE, whose concept version was unveiled 2012's New York Auto Show, is again being put up on the proverbial blocks, USA Today says, citing a presentation by Infiniti executive Michael Bartsch at a recent company event in Detroit. Essentially, the Nissan division has bigger fish to fry, in the form of boosting overall Infiniti sales, and doesn't yet want to put the effort into introducing the Infiniti LE. The Infiniti EV plans were first postponed by then-Infiniti President Johan de Nysschen during the summer of 2013, as de Nysschen wasn't quite buying into Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn's ambitious electric vehicle sales projections. De Nysschen resigned last summer to join General Motors' Cadillac division. One issue may be the fact that the Infiniti wouldn't be all that different from the Nissan Leaf. Despite the fact that US sales of that EV surged 34 percent last year compared to 2013, to 30,200 vehicles, an Infiniti version was apparently not enough of a selling point within the company. While the Infiniti is sportier looking than the Leaf and would boast inductive, wireless charging, it would have a similar power output and single-charge range as the Leaf.

Infiniti delays fastback-like QX55 crossover until late 2020

Infiniti confirmed it has delayed QX55 production by about five months. The as-yet-unveiled crossover is a swoopier, more stylish evolution of the QX50 with a fastback-like roof line inspired by some of the company's past models. The Nissan-owned company informed its suppliers production will start in November 2020, not in June as previously announced. It explained it needs to "ensure production capability" at the Aguascalientes, Mexico, facility that will manufacture the model. It didn't provide additional details, though a spokesperson confirmed the new timeline to Automotive News. The factory — a joint-venture between Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler and Nissan — also makes the QX50, the A-Class, the Kicks, and the Sentra, among other models. "Production schedules are internal and due to various operation priorities can move — sometimes forward, sometimes backward — as a normal course of business," a spokesperson told Autoblog.  The QX55 is based on the aforementioned QX50, and spy shots confirm the two models share several design cues when viewed from the front. Minor nameplate-specific details will set the 55 apart from the 50. It's a different story out back, where the 55 ditches the 50's family-friendly silhouette for a fast-sloping roofline penned with an eye on the first-generation FX released for the 2003 model year, five years before the original BMW X6.  Infiniti is not yet revealing technical specifications, but we expect the variable-compression VC-Turbo engine will be one of the available powertrains. The turbocharged, 2.0-liter unit makes 268 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque in the QX50. It also returns 26 mpg in combined driving, according to the EPA. What remains to be seen is whether the delay also affects the car's unveiling date, which hasn't been publicly announced yet. An Infiniti spokesperson told Autoblog the QX55 is scheduled to make its debut "in the next few months," and pointed out it's one of five new models due out in the next three years. When it does arrive, the Infiniti QX55 will compete in the same segment as the BMW X4 and the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe.