12 Infinity Qx56 2wd Grey Navigation Back Up Camera Dvd Player Distronic on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Infiniti to launch first electric car, to be made in China

BEIJING — The first electric car for Nissan's premium brand Infiniti will be a sporty sedan produced in China, the Japanese carmaker said in a statement viewed by Reuters ahead of a public announcement expected as soon as Wednesday. The vehicle would hit the market in around three years, and consumers would get a taste when the company unveils a concept car, dubbed the Qs Inspiration electric sedan, at the Shanghai auto show later this week, Nissan officials said. "China has the most growth potential for electric vehicles globally, especially in the premium segment," Infiniti Chairman Christian Meunier said in the statement seen by Reuters. Automakers operating in China have to sell more so-called new-energy vehicles, either battery electric cars or plug-in electric hybrids, to comply with official production quotas designed to reduce smog. It was not immediately clear whether Infiniti planned to produce its first electric vehicle in other markets. An Infiniti spokesman said, however, the brand did not intend to export the e-sedan from China. The planned e-sedan is part of Infiniti's longer-term strategy to significantly electrify its product lineup. Brand officials have said that from 2021 every Infiniti model launched will be either an all-electric car or so-called "e-Power" hybrids, underlining Nissan's previously announced plan to make Infiniti primarily an electrified offering. The sedan likely would be built on a new flexible architecture developed specifically to accommodate electrified powertrains, Infiniti said in the statement. Its design, especially the interior, would be significantly different than current models, design chief Karim Habib said. EVs do not have bulky gasoline engines and transmissions, opening up space inside the car. "It will have a flat floor, and if you are a passenger you can cross your legs or stretch out your legs," Habib told Reuters. Competition in China's rapidly emerging electric car market is heating up amid an onslaught of models from startups such as Nio and WM Motor, as well as those from established automakers. In the luxury segment, Infiniti will be competing with Tesla Model S and Model X, as well as other models due to be launched in coming months by Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus.

Infiniti's variable compression engine in the 2019 QX50 is the first of its kind

The world's first variable compression ratio engine is here, in a production car. That car is the 2019 Infiniti QX50, debuting this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The midsize crossover has seen a refresh that has brought it an all-new platform together with new driver assist features, but it's the engine that's the centerpiece here. Nearly everything is continuously variable under the hood of the QX50 – not only the new shift-by-wire XTRONIC CVT. The new VC-Turbo gasoline engine is able to change its compression ratio from 8:1 to 14:1, or anything in between depending of the driving situation; whether there is need for top-end power or turbodiesel-like torque from low revs, or optimized fuel economy. The pistons' reach is continuously adjusted by an electric "Harmonic Drive" motor, which controls a multi-link system, affecting the top-dead-center of the pistons and changing the compression. The engine can also switch between efficiency-maximizing Atkinson cycle and regular combustion cycle, on the go – and there's both multipoint injection and gasoline direct injection employed. The result is 268 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 280 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm; good figures for a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with a single-scroll turbocharger. Infiniti says that the FWD version's fuel economy of 27 miles per gallon combined is 35-percent better than the previous-generation V6 engine; in AWD guise, it reaches 26 mpg, which is a 30-percent improvement. The new engine is pretty much all-aluminum, but the vaguely magical-sounding "transformative multi-link components" behind the variable compression system are made from high-carbon steel alloy. The engine's multi-link system also enables it to do away with any balancing shafts, and Infiniti compares its smoothness to a V6 rather than a regular four-cylinder. In addition to the aforementioned tech, the VC-Turbo engine has the world's first active engine mount vibration damping system to smoothen its operation even further. Related Video:

2025 Infiniti QX60 ditches V6, gains VC-turbo

The 2025 Infiniti QX60 will ditch its long-running VQ-series V6 in favor of Infiniti's variable-compression turbo engine. There's news beyond the powertrain overhaul too as the 2025 model sees some equipment upgrades and a new Black Edition. The blackout package is not new to Infiniti, but it's a first for this QX60. Let's start under the hood.  With 268 horsepower and 286 pound-feet of torque, the VC-T four-cylinder gives up 22 horses in exchange for 16 lb-ft of torque. That's a bit of a side-grade rather than an upgrade, perhaps, but the new four-cylinder delivers better fuel economy, making the whole pill a bit easier to swallow. The FWD model will return 22 mpg city, 28 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined, the EPA says (vs. 21/26/23 with the V6) while the AWD model improves to 22 mpg city, 27 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined (from 20/25/22). That's a 10% bump in city mileage vs. the V6 — not earth-shattering, but not bad, either. And we know what you're thinking, but fear not; this doesn't mean the QX60 is now saddled with a CVT. The nine-speed auto carries over and yes, it can still pull 6,000 pounds with AWD and the tow package.  For 2025, all QX60s get a new fob with an optional automatic lock/unlock feature. The Black Edition (see the gallery above) will be available on Luxe models and includes the gloss black wheels, grille surround, roof rails and exterior badges; illuminated front and rear kickplates; "radiant" grille badge; welcome lighting and a black headliner. The base price of the Pure model is up just $550 from 2024, however the FWD variant of the Autograph has been dropped, making it $4,300 more expensive to get into the trim. However, the AWD variant only increases by $50. Here's pricing information for the entire 2025 QX60 lineup with front-wheel drive (including destination). AWD is $2,000 more on every trim but the Autograph, which bakes it in as standard equipment for 2025.  Pure: $51,550 Luxe: $58,150 Sensory: $60,450 Autograph: $67,500 Related Video:  2023 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek walkaround This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.