As Infiniti reinvents its product portfolio and model technique, the Japanese automaker’s newest mannequin returns to a market phase it helped invent.
The QX55 coupe-style crossover, scheduled to reach in U.S. shops subsequent spring as a 2022 mannequin, positions Infiniti within the high-margin sporty crossover phase now dominated by Germans manufacturers.
The brand new crossover hints on the model’s future design route, Infiniti Americas Group Vice President Jeff Pope instructed Automotive Information final week.
“That is the primary car in Infiniti’s turnaround technique and likewise exhibits the component of the place we’re going with the model,” Pope mentioned. “It is going to entice a person that is style-oriented, presumably youthful.”
Coupe-like crossovers are discovering a market amongst younger households by combining the utility of a crossover with the sporty styling of a sedan. U.S. gross sales of luxurious crossover coupes rose 34 p.c final yr, led by the Audi Q8, in accordance with AutoForecast Options.
The QX55 showcases Infiniti’s want to seize patrons in search of one thing past the normal crossover, mentioned Jessica Caldwell, government director of insights at Edmunds.
“Infiniti is a model that’s sporty and design-focused, so a smooth SUV matches effectively inside its model ethos,” Caldwell mentioned.
When it launches subsequent yr, the QX55 would be the solely Japanese luxurious mannequin within the crossover coupe class — a phase Infiniti just about invented within the final decade with the FX efficiency crossover.
Primarily based on the 350Z, the FX had the “soul of a sports activities automobile in garments that resembled SUVs,” mentioned Tyson Jominy, vice chairman of the Energy Info Community at J.D. Energy.
“Whereas the QX55 would not fairly have the identical sports activities automobile genes, that is Infiniti’s try to return the model a bit to its heritage and its extra daring previous,” Jominy mentioned.
The phase’s revenue potential possible additionally helped rekindle Infiniti’s curiosity. Fastback crossovers usually promote for about 30 p.c greater than conventional crossovers, Jominy mentioned.
“The distinction is estimated to supply 40 p.c to 50 p.c greater revenue per car offered, albeit on a lot decrease quantity,” he mentioned.
The QX55 relies on the redesigned QX50 compact crossover that debuted a variable-compression engine designed to ship V-6-like efficiency from a four-cylinder engine.
Whereas the brand new mannequin shares design parts with the QX50, the fascia is totally different and sports activities a brand new double-arch grille that options an “origami-inspired mesh sample.”
The grille is flanked by commonplace LED headlights that mimic the human eye, Infiniti mentioned. The fog lights are surrounded by angular gloss-black accents deeply set into the entrance fascia.
On the rear, digital “piano key” taillights mix 45 separate LEDs in a single housing to create a lightweight signature.
The Infiniti brand on the tailgate homes the facility liftgate launch.
A cabin-forward format maximizes inside room. The QX55 has 26.9 cubic toes of cargo behind the second row and as much as 38.7 inches of rear-seat legroom.
Laminated entrance aspect glass and Energetic Noise Cancellation know-how assist quiet the journey. The QX55 makes use of three microphones contained in the cabin to detect undesirable frequencies and offsets these with “phase-shifting noises” transmitted via the audio system.
The car’s dashboard is anchored by twin, high-resolution contact screens for infotainment and car controls. An accessible head-up show delivers driving data on the windshield in a 9-inch space.