Infiniti’s bestselling mannequin is getting a makeover that can ship an up to date powertrain and a extra muscular look. However for the model’s 204 U.S. sellers, the look forward to the arrival of the 2022 QX60 midsize crossover will really feel like an eternity.

Manufacturing of the current-generation QX60 resulted in December, however the brand new model will not arrive till late August or early September, stated Ed Lennon Jr., Infiniti Nationwide Vendor Advisory Board chairman and president of Circle Infiniti.

That presents the model with a gross sales problem.

The QX60 accounted for about 40 % of new-vehicle gross sales at Lennon’s West Lengthy Department, N.J., retailer final 12 months.

“The stock that we have now proper now has to final us for the following three to 6 months,” Lennon advised Automotive Information in January. “That is going to be troublesome as a result of the QX60 can be in very, very quick provide by the top of March.”

Infiniti is struggling to reverse the most important annual proportion gross sales decline in its historical past. U.S. gross sales tumbled 32 % final 12 months.

Falling gross sales have dented retailer profitability — greater than 30 % of the model’s U.S. sellers had been unprofitable in January.

The QX60, together with the QX50 compact crossover, kinds the spine of Infiniti’s U.S. gross sales.

Infiniti delivered 22,880 QX60s final 12 months, or 29 % of the model’s complete gross sales.

Tyson Jominy, vice chairman of the Energy Info Community at J.D. Energy, stated that whereas there have been situations of skipped mannequin years and late-arriving replacements, it’s “terribly uncommon to have the gross sales chief take a ‘hole 12 months’ like this.”

Warren Zinn, president of Warren Henry Infiniti, stated the QX60 provide disruption “has put us in a really troublesome spot so far as what we have now to promote.”

Zinn stated he is “by no means seen something like this” in his 45 years within the auto retail enterprise.

The QX60 accounted for practically half of the new-vehicle gross sales at his North Miami dealership final 12 months.

“We’ll must promote QX50s,” Zinn stated. “We’ll must get tremendous sturdy on our pre-owned automobiles.”

The delay within the new QX60’s arrival leaves sellers with out an providing within the aggressive three-row car section.

Whereas the Infiniti QX80 additionally contains a third row of seating, the full-size SUV is about $25,000 dearer.

“It is a smaller portion of the market, it is a lot dearer and the gasoline financial system shouldn’t be aggressive,” Lennon stated.

That leaves sellers with few choices, together with extending leases of present QX60 clients till the brand new mannequin arrives, or making an attempt to maneuver clients down-market right into a QX50 compact crossover.

Infiniti realizes its sellers’ predicament and is responding. In December, the automaker added incentives on the QX50 to drive gross sales of that mannequin.

“It is not like you possibly can take 50 % of people who find themselves shopping for QX60s and simply transfer them over” to the QX50, stated Jeff Pope, Infiniti Americas group vice chairman.

“The thought is not to maneuver individuals from QX60 to QX50. The thought is to maximise the quantity on QX50 as a lot as attainable” to take care of vendor throughput, Pope stated.

Infiniti has additionally boosted manufacturing of the QX50, the model’s second-bestseller.

“We’ve made certain that we’re maximizing our output consistent with what we consider we are able to promote,” Pope stated.

“We’re not going to ever blindly improve manufacturing with out the flexibility to retail it, as a result of the very last thing I must do is inventory sellers with stock they can not promote.”

Pope pointed to the arrival of the brand new QX55 crossover coupe in April.

The QX55 “will not change the patron for the QX60, however it can enable for extra quantity into the sellers,” he stated. “That automotive will deliver a brand new purchaser into the vendor showrooms.”

Infiniti will even give attention to its CPO program to assist meet demand for three-row crossovers. The QX60 and QX80 are amongst Infiniti’s hottest CPO autos, Pope stated.

The 2022 QX60 would be the first product launch below the “Nissan-plus” technique — a check to see whether or not the premium Infiniti model and mass-market Nissan-brand autos can share extra elements with out sacrificing their distinct identities.

The QX60 is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that delivers 295 hp.

The engine is mated to a brand new nine-speed transmission that delivers improved acceleration and a smoother driving expertise.

The second-generation crossover will characteristic a raised hood profile, bigger grille, twin 12.3-inch screens and a two-tone roof.

Lennon expressed disappointment that the redesigned Nissan Pathfinder, which shares the identical platform because the QX60, will arrive in Nissan dealerships about three months earlier than the QX60.

“The premium model ought to come out first, whether or not it is 30 days or 60 days forward,” Lennon stated.

Pope stated he does not view the market launch timing as a “snub” to the Infiniti model by Nissan. R&D schedules and market calls for drive product launch timing.

“When you may have a number of manufacturers below one company, that is all the time going to happen,” Pope stated. “There are occasions that we come first within the course of and the Nissan product follows.”