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Infiniti hybrid sports car coming by 2016 after all?

Infiniti makes plenty of good cars, crossovers and SUVs. The premium Japanese brand also has a well-defined presence in racing on the world's largest stage in the form of a partnership with Red Bull in Formula 1. What Infiniti doesn't have, though, is a range-topping halo car.
A report from Autocar in the UK suggests that Infiniti's gaping top-shelf hole may soon be plugged by 2016 with a new hybrid sports car along the lines of the well-received Emerg-E and Essence concepts. This report is contrary to news we heard from Autocar late last year, when company officials reportedly told the publication that a swoopy and fuel-efficient machine like the Emerg-E wouldn't be produced.
Interestingly, Infiniti is said to sense strong demand from so-called "little emperors ... who are used to getting what they want," many of whom live in Asian countries, who are also environmentally conscious. Infiniti exec Andy Palmer told Autocar to expect something "like the Tesla sports car option, but with more flexibility in terms of range."

Infiniti SUV recall marks latest chapter in Takata airbag saga

Automotive parts maker Takata is having a rough year with millions of vehicles equipped with its airbag inflators being recalled. However, it looks like there might still be problems with the company's quality control, if a new recall by Infiniti is any indication.
The Japanese luxury brand is recalling 1,912 total units of the 2013 Infiniti QX56 and 2014 QX80 in North America because of a manufacturing flaw with their Takata-supplied inflators for the driver's side front airbag. Of those, 1,848 are in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Specifically, the outer baffle could be the wrong component and cause too much pressure to build up inside. According to documents submitted to NHTSA, it's possible in a crash for the part to rupture spraying metal shrapnel at occupants. At this time, Infiniti has not had any reports of this actually happening to drivers.
While this problem sounds nearly identical to the issue affecting millions of earlier vehicles, it must be noted that this is a different fault. According to the notice being sent to dealers on NHTSA's website: "This particular Voluntary Safety Recall Campaign is unrelated to two earlier campaigns that involved Takata passenger front air bag inflators on some older model Infiniti vehicles. This issue involves a much newer inflator and is a different, more isolated, Takata quality control issue."

2021 Infiniti Q50 gains more safety equipment and sporty-looking Sensory trim

Details for the 2021 Infiniti Q50 are out, and while it’s largely the same sedan as it was last year, Infiniti made some notable improvements. For starters, Infiniti made its suite of driver assistance equipment standard. This includes blind-spot warning, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, 360-degree camera with moving object detection, parking sensors, backup collision assist and auto high-beams. ItÂ’s a fairly comprehensive package that many luxury brands would make you pay a pretty penny for. Additionally, Infiniti is adding a Sensory trim level for 2021. ItÂ’s equipped with the 300-horsepower version of the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine. Infiniti also equips it with sport design front and rear fascias, leather sport seats, black open pore wood interior trim, black headliner and pillars and a 16-speaker Bose audio system. Both the Sensory and Red Sport 400 gain power-folding, auto-dimming outside mirrors in the new year, too. Appearance changes for the Red Sport 400 include a new matte black carbon fiber interior trim package and more black exterior trim highlights. You can see the carÂ’s slightly more menacing look in the photos at the top of this post. The rest of the Q50 lineup gains two new color options: Slate Gray and Grand Blue. Pricing for the base Q50 hasnÂ’t budged in the new year. Rear-wheel-drive models will still start at $37,625 and all-wheel-drive versions will begin at $39,625. The 2021 Infiniti Q50 is arriving in dealerships now. Related Video: