Excerpt from the April 2023 issue of Car and driver.
Dear Mr Kargar,
Infiniti’s first car impressed me so much that I bought a new one. THE original Q45 had a unique belt-buckle front badging, a sculpted interior with impressive flowing surfaces, and a solid metal ignition key that felt heavy in the proud owner’s pocket. From there, the marque’s career ladder soared, with the remarkably cool G35, M45 and FX45, but other efforts, including the I30 and QX4, turned out to be Nissan clones. underdeveloped and overly stylish.
Today’s lineup is a mix of the aging Q50 sedan, a few run-of-the-mill compact SUVs in the QX50 and QX55, the good-but-not-best-in-class QX60, and the luxurious-but-expensive body-on-frame QX80. The transition to electric vehicles is the perfect opportunity to remaster the model mix. Infiniti needs to capitalize on the interest in luxury crossovers by offering sleek and beautiful alternatives that compete on price without compromising on the premium feel.
• Start by transforming the confirmed American-made 2025 all-electric sports sedan inspired by the Qs Inspiration into a more buyer-friendly form that could challenge the Mercedes EQC, which should be released around the same time.
• The second proposition is more risky but potentially more rewarding. No manufacturer has so far conquered the American and Chinese markets with high technology in a small package. Could Infiniti use the Ariya platform and be the first to run a nice zero-emissions city cruiser that wins over the big SUV and big sedan audiences in its market?
• SUVs are at the heart of the lineup, and here Infiniti should challenge BMW. It seems obvious that a new range would be electrified. Make sure when the QXE series – or however they end up being referred to – come out the QXE50 sits above an electric X3 but costs less, the QXE70 eclipses the future priced electric X5 reduced, and the QXE90 has a clear visual and functional edge on something like an X7 EV. In short, Infiniti must compete with BMW while remaining significantly more affordable to encourage the buyer to take a risk on the brand.
The impending powertrain paradigm shift looks like a minefield from a distance, but there are brand-shaping opportunities waiting to be tapped. Oh, one more thing: when you sign the new Infiniti logo, take a look back at that beautifully crafted belt buckle emblem that adorned the front of the original Q45.
Contributing Editor
Although I was born the only child of an ornithologist and a postal worker, it was clear from the start that birdwatching and stamp collecting were not my thing. If I had known God wanted me to grow to 6’8″ I would have ruled out anything related to cars as well, which are to blame for a few slipped discs, a torn ligament and that stupid hunched posture behind the wheel While working as a keeper at Aberdeen Zoo, smuggling cheap cigarettes from Yugoslavia to Germany and an embarrassing interlude with an amateur theater group also failed to lead to fulfillment, driving and writing. on cars has become a much better option. , many years later as i approach my 70th birthday i enjoy every aspect of my job except long haul travel on bad airlines , and I hope it shows.
