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Infiniti spruces up the Q50 for 2018

Though overshadowed by the literally larger QX80 Monograph SUV concept, Infiniti's revised 2018 Q50 still made an appearance at the stand in New York. It joins a long list of cars including the Acura TLX, Hyundai Sonata, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, VW Golf, and Toyota Sienna and Yaris that all went under the knife for the show. The Infiniti Q50's update may be one of the most mild, though, as it only consisted of cosmetic changes. Up front, the grille has been enlarged and given more prominent swoops at each corner. On the S version, sharp creases appear on either side of the primary grille and descend down to the lower, center grille. The outboard grilles of the front bumper have changed shape, too, and they now feature contrasting black plastic trim. The standard Q50 has a new bumper, as well, and though less aggressive than the S version, it still looks sporty with a more pronounced chin spoiler. Both iterations of the 2018 Q50 share the same tail end. The main change is in the rear bumper. A center diffuser has now appeared at the base. The contour of the diffuser is echoed by two creases in the bumper at progressively higher points. On the S model, the panel between the diffuser and the first crease is painted black, and the diffuser is painted in the body color. The standard model's entire bumper is painted in body color, and the diffuser looks to be a more muted black or gray. Inside, even fewer changes have been made. A new steering wheel with reshaped thumb grips is now included. Infiniti also added new stitching to the instrument panel cover and leather shift knob. You'll be able to examine all of these changes up close at an Infiniti dealer this summer when the cars arrive. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Infiniti boss De Nysschen confirms next-gen Q60 Coupe, ponders high-performance variants

We've known since mid-December that Infiniti's new global model naming convention would turn the current-generation G37 Coupe into the Q60 Coupe starting next year, but we haven't been clear on whether the model-range-formerly-known-as-G would get a successor, especially as its volume has traditionally been a lot lower than its sedan counterpart.
Thankfully, Infiniti president Johann De Nysschen (above) has stepped up to confirm that the newly revealed Q50 sedan will receive a two-door counterpart, though perhaps not as quickly as some would like. According to an interview with Australia's CarAdvice.com, De Nysschen says "the coupe we can probably expect two-and-a-half to three years down the road." That news also suggests that if there's an eventual convertible version, that it's a long way off, too. Why so long? Infiniti has "a lot of priorities" - priorities that undoubtedly include an already-confirmed front-wheel-drive small hatchback/crossover.
The report also indicates that Infiniti has some aspirations for stretching its new Q50/Q60 range in a higher-performance direction to take on competitors like BMW and Audi, the latter being De Nysschen's former employer. There's far from a firm timetable offered, of course, with De Nysschen saying "someday in the future we will be able to offer more high performance versions [of Q50] than we have today... the dynamic capabilities of this platform are very significant. It can handle far higher power than the engines we are using at launch."

Infiniti electric crossover will mark a milestone at Detroit Auto Show

In November, it was announced that both Nissan and Infiniti will display EV concepts at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, taking place in January. Previously, it wasn't made clear what kind of vehicles they would be, but Infiniti stated today that its Detroit concept will be an electric crossover. Both the Nissan and Infiniti concepts will continue the design direction shown by Infiniti's Q Inspiration concept, and later next year, there will be stylistically similar cars shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. The luxury brand has released the above teaser photo of the crossover, depicting sharp headlights and a lit grille outline surrounding the badging. We can also see large wheels and tires and sizeable, defined wheel arches. Future Infinitis will be electrified from 2021 on, featuring either serial hybrid tech or full electric drivetrains. Serial hybrid refers to using Nissan's e-power technology, which relies on range extender engines instead of a large combustion engine (such as Infiniti's lauded VC-Turbo). The Detroit Auto Show is also a significant event for Infiniti, as the brand and its first car, the grille-less Q45 luxury sedan, was first displayed 30 years ago at the 1989 NAIAS. "Thirty years ago, as a 24-year-old designer in the audience, I saw the birth of Infiniti in person and am proud to be part of the journey of creating iconic luxury automobiles," said Nissan's senior vice president for global design, Alfonso Albaisa. Meanwhile, Infiniti's November 2018 sales were the best November numbers in the brand's history. "The concept car we will show in Detroit is the beginning of a new era for Infiniti, and an illustration of where we want to go with the brand," said Karim Habib, Infiniti's design director. Earlier, Albaisa echoed his statements, telling us how electrification can inspire the brand's future design thanks to the battery packs' size development, saying: "It's getting denser, it's getting thinner, the cars are able to get a little bit bigger, more space, we can really do much more." Related Video: