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Infiniti aims to "de-Americanize" lineup, add flagship

Nissan launched Infiniti back in 1989 as a US brand, but more recently, Nissan's luxury marque has started focusing on more of a global presence. With a new global headquarters set up in Hong Kong and former Audi bigwig Johan de Nysschen at the helm, Wards Auto is reporting that the automaker's next goal is to create a "de-Americanized" lineup of vehicles.
This plan essentially consists of smaller cars and smaller-displacement engines to make Infiniti more attractive for buyers in Europe and Asia - two regions that tend to skew more toward smaller vehicles and smaller powerplants. To this point, Infiniti has been focused on vehicles better-suited to the US market - in fact, its smallest engine is a 3.7-liter V6 with 330 horsepower, and it doesn't offer a single diesel.
The first step in this transformation will be part of the Daimler-Nissan engine deal that will see a four-cylinder diesel eventually used in the 2014 Q50, but the report also reconfirms the importance of the soon-to-arrive Q30 production model (a concept of which was revealed last week in Frankfurt), along with the idea of a QX30 based on the Nissan Qashqai. There's also the latest projection of a full-electric Infiniti model that Wards says will debut sometime around 2015. Of course, Infiniti isn't giving up on large cars entirely - the reports indicates that Infiniti is planning a fullsize flagship model - possibly named Q80 - to compete against German sedans like the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

2018 Infiniti QX80 Drivers' Notes Review | Big, brash and big

When it comes to body-on-frame, full-size SUVs, it seems every automaker has the same strategy. Offer one version as a more affordable, workman-like model, and another one as the plush luxury model. Ford has the Expedition and the Navigator, Toyota has the Land Cruiser and the LX 570, GM has the Tahoe and the Escalade. Over at Nissan, the pairing is the Nissan Aramada and the Infiniti QX80. We recently reviewed the Nissan version, and we just had a turn in the Infiniti. So how did the Infiniti fare against its proletarian twin? Read on to find out. Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale: So here's the thing about the Infiniti QX80: It's literally just a flashier Nissan Armada. As I sat down to write my thoughts, I took a second look at what I wrote about the Nissan-badged version, and I realized almost everything on my mind I already covered. The thing is enormous. Walking up to it, it seems like it might be an inch taller than me (5'11"). It's pretty wide, too, and the width is consistent all the way up. But it is still easy to drive with light steering and very good visibility. The 5.6-liter V8 sounds lovely and seems well-matched to the truck, and the transmission shifts smoothly and picks gears well. The real problem I see is that my feelings about the QX80's interior are nearly identical to those of the Armada. They're virtually identical, especially when comparing the higher trim Armadas. They have the same infotainment, the same buttons. There are a lot of buttons, too, scattered seemingly haphazardly and are difficult to use, especially with the very dated infotainment system. The dash design and shape of the wood are the same, and so is the steering wheel. The only things I could tell were really different were the shift knob, the gauge faces and the quilted leather seats. And Nissan offers a version of the latter on the Armada Platinum Reserve. I'm dwelling on this a bit because the Infiniti QX80 is not cheap. The four-wheel-drive one we had here in Michigan had a base price of $68,845. That's a few thousand more than the aforementioned Armada Platinum Reserve, and I don't see how the Infiniti is worth that extra money. It seems all you're getting is a flashier exterior, especially with the $2,800 22-inch wheels, and a more prestigious badge. I need more than chrome and badges to spend so much money. My recommendation is just buy an Armada.

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.