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Infiniti JX35 QX60 Hybrid confirmed for New York debut

The next Q-ified Infiniti will be making its debut at the New York Auto Show later this month, the QX60 - the crossover formerly known as JX35. And while there aren't many changes to the crossover in terms of design or function, the big news is that Infiniti will be revealing a production hybrid powertrain option for its seven-passenger luxury/utility vehicle.
The QX60 Hybrid uses the same powetrain found in Infiniti's M35h gasoline-electric sedan, which couples a 2.5-liter supercharged four-cylinder engine with a 15-kilowatt electric motor, running to the wheels via continuously variable transmission. Both front- and all-wheel-drive versions of the QX60 Hybrid will be available, and Infiniti says that the more efficient CUV should be good for around 26 miles per gallon combined - an improvement of five mpg over the current JX35 with its 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6. And because the compact lithium-ion battery will be housed underneath the third row seat, we're told that the hybrid model will still have the same passenger and cargo capacity of the non-hybrid crossover.
This will be the first three-row hybrid CUV offered in the US market, and wrapping it up in a luxury package makes a lot of sense to us, since it could be a good way of cajoling customers into absorbing the extra cost of the more expensive powertrain. (Keyword in that sentence: CUV. After all, the Cadillac Escalade is still currently available as a two-mode hybrid for the 2013 model year.) Infiniti has not released official pricing figures, but says that the hybrid model will represent a roughly $3,000 premium over the standard QX60.

Infiniti takes to Facebook to explain model names, mentions 550-hp flagship

Infiniti caused quite a stir this week when it announced that it would be changing its vehicle names so that all of its cars start with Q and all of its crossovers and SUVs start with QX. Many displeased fans and owners took to social media to voice their opinions, and Johan de Nysschen, the new Infiniti boss, responded today with a Facebook post of his own.
In the note, de Nysschen talks about the challenge of product expansions with alphanumeric names that allow for flexibility without encroaching on the trademarked names of other automakers, although we're sure de Nysschen's former colleagues at Audi aren't looking forward to a Q30 or Q50. He also says that as Infiniti grows to become a global brand, the new naming structure - which closely mimics Volvo - is also designed to reduce confusion (just don't tell that to current owners). One thing that de Nysschen assured wouldn't happen is a confusing "X" added to the end of all-wheel-drive model names that would result in names like the Q60X or, even worse, the QX50X.
While we are not looking forward to relearning Infiniti's product lineup, de Nysschen has given us something to look forward to courtesy of a new performance sedan. From the brief explanation of this car, which was used as a key example in explaining the validity of the new names, we learned that the new model will be a performance version of what is now the M sedan, and it will be powered by a "charged induction" 3.0-liter V6 producing more than 550 horsepower. The M's name will become the Q70, but as of right now, it isn't clear if this will be an IPL model or something else.

Nissan, Infiniti will each show a next-gen concept EV in Detroit

The chief designer for Nissan and Infiniti said Wednesday that both brands will debut concept electric vehicles at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January that will likely show off Nissan's next-generation electric drive systems and the evolution of the brands' EV design direction first hinted at with Infiniti's stunning Q Inspiration. Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president of global design for Nissan, said the concepts will reflect a similar departure from standard vehicle proportions as the Q Inspiration. He would not say exactly what segment or segments the concepts would represent, but he dropped some hints at a couple possible powertrains for the concepts. Similar additional concepts will follow later in the year at the Tokyo Motor Show, he said. "The Q Inspiration kind of hinted at it and we avoided discussing too much about what's driving that car. Of course, we talked about VC-Turbo, which is also possible," he said in an interview with Autoblog. "But if you really look at the car, Q Insipiration shifted the cabin forward. It was the first one to break the [mold] of Infiniti. So how to still have this artistry and this sense of carrozzerie" (Italian for coachbuilding) "of Infiniti without kind of the stereotypical long hood and the cabin shifted back and the windshield has to go through the center of the front wheel, these golden rules." Infiniti debuted the Q Inspiration concept sedan in Detroit in January, with a swoopy, ghost-like design influenced by an archer shooting an arrow through the air, and innovative design features like an elongated cabin that expands interior space, a relative lack of chrome, and other features. It's powered by a compact variable compression turbocharged engine, which can change compression ratios on the fly to maximize efficiency and power, depending on the situation. But Albaisa said the two concepts for Detroit could feature Nissan's e-Power series hybrid technology, which has mostly featured in Japan, and which features small, isolated gasoline engines that exist only to charge the batteries, not drive the wheels. They will also feature a new generation of battery packs, which he calls a "magic carpet." "It's getting denser, it's getting thinner, the cars are able to get a little bit bigger, more space, we can really do much more," he said.