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4 ways Infiniti’s Q Inspiration concept bridges present and future

Infiniti's new Q Inspiration concept is a striking fastback sedan that the company says reflects an inflection point for both the luxury brand and the broader auto industry itself. It represents a bridge between technologies. That's true in the literal sense; it employs Infiniti's new variable compression turbocharged engine technology, which provides performance features while maximizing efficiency, and bridges the gap to more advanced powertrains. It also features Nissan's ProPilot semi-autonomous driving technology. But it's also true for the concept car's design, which Infiniti says provides a simple, elegant solution to complex technological questions — offering a palate cleanser, if you will, for the complicated technologies hidden beneath the gleaming surfaces. Oddly enough, the futuristic-looking Q Inspiration owes a debt of gratitude to the Prototype 9, the concept based on a 1940s-style grand prix car that Infiniti released last year. Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti's senior vice president for global design, said that project became "a kind of a blank canvas for us to play with" and allowed for new discovery and expression with minimal brush strokes. It also led designers back to Ma, the Japanese concept of mastery of empty space. We spoke with Albaisa about how the concept's design echoes the theme of bridging the present and future. 1. The cabin's forward proportion and roominess Using the space-efficient VC-Turbo engine gave the designers space to shift the cabin forward and move the A-pillars back, creating a more centered and elongated cabin, with maximum headroom. The interior is clean, with orange and black leather with orange accents and backlit birch wood accents. The center console is floating, providing seamless connectivity to technology and hiding mechanical elements. Albaisa says it's the first manifestation of Infiniti's new form language for an era of advanced powertrain and future technologies. 2. The grille In what Albaisa describes as "a little bit of an accident" and "kind of tongue-in-cheek," the Q Inspiration's grille is a kind of trompe l'oeuil phenomenon. From directly in front, you can see the small fins, but viewed from the side, they disappear. So much so that Albaisa said he was initially fooled. "From a functional point of view, we need to breathe," he said. "But I think in the future, where there'll be a lot different types of technology, probably the car can breathe less. So we don't need that dominating big open mouth.

Infiniti's fastback 2021 QX55 crossover shows its stylish rear end

First announced in August 2019, the Infiniti QX55 will finally make its global debut on Tuesday, November 17. Nissan's luxury division released a preview image that gives us the best look yet at the next addition to its range. The QX55 is closely related to the QX50 crossover under the sheetmetal, but it stands out from its more family-friendly sibling with a rakish, fastback-like roofline that will inevitably attract the coupe label. It will be to the QX50 what the BMW X4 is to the X3. Although we haven't seen its front fascia yet, Infiniti's preview image shows the rear end wears horizontal LED lights that stretch deep into the quarter panels, along with a roof-mounted spoiler. We were pleasantly surprised by the QX50's upmarket interior, so we're expecting a comparable degree of opulence in the QX55. It's too early to tell if Infiniti will simply copy the 50's cabin layout and paste it inside the 55, or if the latter will receive a look of its own. Similarly, technical specifications won't be published until the model's introduction. We expect that the VC Turbo four-cylinder engine, which was a finalist for the 2019 Autoblog Tech of the Year award, will appear on the roster. All-wheel drive will certainly be available, and Infiniti may offer an entry-level variant with front-wheel drive. Infiniti will present the 2021 QX55 online Tuesday during an event that will star singer Aloe Blacc. It will stream the concert-unveiling cross on its various social media platforms starting at 8:55 p.m. Eastern time, 5:55 p.m. Pacific time. Built in Mexico, the model will arrive in American showrooms in early 2021 with a base price pegged above $40,000. What's next? The QX55 will stand out as the first model released under Infiniti's Nissan-Plus strategy, which was presented as a way to cut costs and boost profits by increasing the number of components it shares with its parent company. However, leaning more heavily on Nissan will not dilute its image or its products, according to executives. Stylists are in the process of overhauling Infiniti's design language, and the brand's reboot will put a major emphasis on technology. Looking ahead, the QX will be followed by the next-generation QX60, which is tentatively due out in 2021 as a 2022 model, and by the company's first series-produced electric car. Related Video:

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.