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2015 Infiniti Q70 stretches out in NYC

Infiniti released its refreshed Q70 (the car formerly known as "M") in New York this morning. The luxury sedan is brings with it, quite literally, a big change: it's now the only vehicle in its segment to offer both long- and short-wheelbase options here in the US (other automakers do this in China). Currently, the two-wheelbase sedan strategy is exclusive to the ranks of fullsize players like the BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, etc.
Infiniti has elongated the standard Q70's wheelbase from 114.2 inches to 120.1 inches, in doing so lengthening the car 7.3 inches overall. For the sake of comparison, a standard wheelbase Audi A8 runs 117.8 inches, so the Q70 is no slouch. The extension mostly benefits rear-seat occupants, who are treated to an extra 5.6 inches of legroom. We think the enlargement improves the car's aesthetic, as well.
In addition to the long-wheelbase option, there are a few other tweaks in store for 2015. New head and taillights are the biggest changes, with full LEDs in the back and LED accents in front. Aspects currently seen on the smaller Q50 are evident, as well, such as the "double-arch" grille that comes with mesh-finish inserts. The fascia also includes a new front bumper with integrated foglights. Interior changes seem to be fairly minimal, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The outgoing Q70 had a spacious (if dated), luxurious cabin with all kinds of high-quality materials.

Nissan Recalls More Than One Million Vehicles For Air Bags

Nissan is recalling just over one million cars, SUVs and vans because the front passenger air bags may not inflate in a crash. It's the company's second recall to fix the same problem. The recall affects the Altima midsize car, Leaf electric car, Pathfinder SUV and Sentra compact models from the 2013 and 2014 model years, as well as the NV200 Taxi van and Infiniti JX35 SUV from 2013. Also covered are the Infiniti QX60 and Q50 SUVs from 2014. In documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Nissan says the vehicles' computer software may not detect an adult in the passenger seat. If that happens, the air bags won't inflate. Nissan will notify owners and dealers will update the software for free. The recall is expected to start in mid-April. Most of the vehicles were recalled in February of last year for a similar problem. Dealers replaced seat sensors, but Nissan said it continued to get consumer complaints and warranty claims in vehicles that had been repaired. Front passenger seats have sensors that determine the passenger's weight and turn off air bags off if a child is on board. The malfunctioning sensors can turn the air bags off even if an adult is in the seat. Nissan received three reports of air bags failing to inflate in a crash. Spokesman Steve Yeager said in an e-mail that he is not sure if anyone was hurt in those incidents. There have been no deaths due to the problem, he said. The recall affects almost 990,000 vehicles in the U.S., another 60,000 in Canada and small numbers in other countries, Yeager said. Related Gallery Nissan Searches For Identity In America

Infiniti brand will finally make its debut in Japan, but not the name

Nissan left the automotive media scratching its collective head when it announced that its Infiniti luxury brand would be renaming all of its vehicles, with cars wearing the Q designation and CUVs/SUVs wearing the QX badge. So the G Sedan became the Q50, and the G Coupe became the Q60. The QX56, meanwhile, became the QX80, and the FX crossover became the QX70. It is still thoroughly confusing nearly a year later.
Not content to confuse its US customers alone, Nissan will be fiddling with the name of one of its most revered Japanese-market models - the Skyline. Rebadged for the US as the Q50, and before that as the G Sedan/Coupe, the new Skyline will wear an Infiniti badge. What makes this truly confusing, though, is that the car won't be called the Infiniti Skyline, despite its badging. It won't even be called the Nissan Skyline, anymore. It's now just the Skyline. Apparently, Nissan thinks it can capitalize on the Skyline's link to the Japanese royal family (the Skyline was originally a product of Prince Motors, which provided vehicles for the Emperor and his family), by ditching any brand names and referring to it as its own model, according to Automotive News.
Now, confusion aside, there are things about Infiniti badging in Japan that make sense. Badging all the Nissans that eventually become Infinitis as Infinitis in the first place goes a long way to make the brand seem separate and distinct from its parent company. Speaking to AN, Infiniti's executive vice president of global product planning, Andy Palmer, puts it this way, "We have to treat Infiniti, if you will, in the same [way] that Volkswagen treats Audi. It's not a Nissan-plus. Infiniti has to stand head-to-head with any of those German competitors."