2009 Infiniti S on 2040-cars

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Infiniti Q30 prototype spotted winter testing

Infiniti is the latest luxury automaker preparing to join the premium hatchback segment, and after seeing a prototype wrapped in garbage bags undergoing warm-weather testing earlier last month, we're now looking at another test mule running in the snow. Previewed in concept form at the Frankfurt Motor Show over a year ago, the Infiniti Q30 is set to share its platform with the Mercedes GLA – with which it obviously shares its proportions, but from which it will be distinguished with unique styling with trademark Infiniti design cues. It's still hard to tell much from the spy shots (heavily camouflaged as is the prototype), but their emergence at least tells us that development is continuing apace. We wouldn't take too much stock in the Volvo V60 tailing it, though: automakers often benchmark the competition, but the Q30 will more directly compete with the next V40, along with the likes of the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and (maybe to a lesser extent) the Lexus CT 200h. Expect power to come from the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine used in the GLA and its stablemates as well. Production is slated to take place simultaneously in Decherd, TN, and in Sunderland, England, at Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK – one of the largest assembly plants in Europe. A QX30 crossover version better suited to rougher roads is slated to follow as well.

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.

2014 Infiniti Q50 sees 3,650 pre-sales ahead of Aug. 5 debut

Infiniti's answer to the hot new sports sedans from BMW, Cadillac and Lexus is creeping closer and closer to its August 5 arrival in dealerships. And while we yet can't pass judgment on the Infiniti Q50 - formerly known as G37 - 3,650 Americans are apparently ready to, as they've already raised their hands for the 2014 model.
In a pre-sale program announced at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, Infiniti gave buyers until June 30 to raise their hand for the new model. "The Infiniti Q50 pre-sale exceeded all expectations, becoming the most successful such program in Infiniti history," according to Infiniti's American Vice President Ben Poore.
A lot is expected of the Q50, available in both rear- and all-wheel-drive and with an optional hybrid powertrain. With 328 horsepower from its 3.7-liter V6 engine, Infiniti is making sure the new car packs a big punch relative to the competition. Meanwhile, the Q50 Hybrid offers fuel-sippers 360 ponies and up to 36 miles per gallon.