2009 Infinity G37x on 2040-cars

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Nissan's dismal 2019: Where does Japan's struggling brand go from here?

Auto sales have gradually slowed from their peak during the boom years that followed the global recession, but Nissan's rapid decline stood out even in a year when few high-volume manufacturers had much to be excited about.  Of the "Japanese 3," Nissan's 2019 performance was by far the most troubling. Through November, when the company last posted its global sales figures, its volumes were down 8 percent compared to 2019. Here in the United States, its full-year numbers were down 9.9% in an industry that slid just a hair more than 2 percent overall.  Meanwhile, Honda managed a slight increase in U.S. sales (0.2%) and Toyota, much like the industry in general, finished the year down approximately 2%. Like Nissan, Honda and Toyota have remained committed to cars — including compact and midsize sedans — and have a comprehensive portfolio of offerings in the key SUV and crossover segments.   On paper, Nissan's lineup checks all the right boxes. From the subcompact Kicks up to the Armada, it has something for sale in virtually every possible nook and cranny of the people-mover segment, but almost all of these trucks (and trucklets) took a beating in 2019. Only the baby Kicks managed to improve on its 2018 sales, which isn't saying a whole lot, considering it was barely sold in 2018 to begin with.  In fact, the bonus volume contributed by Kicks helps obscure just how poorly some of Nissan's key offerings performed last year. Combined Rogue and Rogue Sport sales slid 15%; Murano was down more than 18%; the Pathfinder and Armada managed to pace the general industry, dropping 2.8 and 1.9%, respectively, but the astute reader will note at this point that we've yet to single out any bright spots. The news was even worse on the truck side. Frontier was down 9.1%. Titan? Down 37.5%. Crossovers and SUVs are selling. Trucks, even from import brands, are also selling. Toyota's mid-size Tacoma was up in 2019; both it and the full-size Tundra still more than tripled the volume of their Nissan competitors. Further muddying the waters, Honda managed its year-over-year volume increase without selling a full-sized pickup at all.  What, then, is Nissan's problem? To borrow an oft-used phrase, "It's the product, stupid." The most striking evidence of this issue is the Rogue, which competes in the compact crossover segment — a collection of vehicles that essentially sell themselves.

Infiniti introduces Q70 Premium Select Edition to Monterey crowds

Infiniti has made its presence at the 2015 Monterey Car Week known, introducing a new version of its flagship sedan, the Q70. As far as special editions go, the new Premium Select Edition Q70 is fairly light on upgrades, going for minor aesthetic tweaks rather than rocking the boat too heavily. Unsurprisingly, one of the most obvious changes is down low, where Infiniti's stylists have fitted new 20-inch wheels. The gunmetal hoops are joined by dark chrome trim on the fascia, a new rear bumper, and a decklid spoiler. Buyers have the choice of two interior trims. There's Graphite and Stone, both of which feature semi-aniline leather, a "suede-like" headliner, and aluminum interior trim pieces. Infiniti isn't too picky when it comes to powertrains for the Premium Select Edition, although there are some restrictions. It can be had with both the 3.7-liter V6 and 5.6-liter V8 and in rear- or all-wheel-drive models. Weirdly, though, you can't get the stylish trim on the Q70 Hybrid or on long-wheelbase models. We can't tell you how much it'll cost to add the special-edition trim, because Infiniti did not deign to release pricing info. We can, however, tell you that the Q70 Premium Select Edition will hit dealers this November. Look for more, including live images of the new sedan, as the Monterey Car Week continues. Until then, scroll down for the official press release. Related Video: 2016 Infiniti Q70 Premium Select Edition debuts at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Infiniti today announced that the new 2016 Infiniti Q70 Premium Select Edition will be on display this week in the Infiniti Pavilion at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The specially equipped Q70 premium sedan will be available at Infiniti retailers nationwide beginning in November. "Following the introduction last year of the new Infiniti Q70 long-wheelbase model, we are continuing to expand our flagship Q70 sedan's portfolio of offerings," said Randy Parker, vice president, Infiniti Americas. "The new Premium Select Edition package gives the Q70 an extra touch of premium elegance that is right at home here at Pebble Beach – or in any neighborhood or driveway across the country." The Q70 Premium Select Edition's exterior offers dark chrome trim, a darkened lower rear bumper, a rear decklid spoiler and unique design and color 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with 245/40R20 all-season performance tires.

2017 Infiniti QX30 First Drive

If you've heard anything before about this car, the 2017 Infiniti QX30, it probably has to do with its corporate parents, an odd couple if there ever was one. Renault-Nissan, Infiniti's corporate overlords, inked a deal with Mercedes-Benz to share some mechanical components and platforms. That deal put a new, very modern 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four under the hood of the Q50 and was the genesis of what you're looking at here. What are you looking at here? We drove this car in 2015, when it was called a Q30 – originally it was going to be the lower-riding counterpart to the slightly jacked-up QX30. Then Infiniti decided it'd make more sense to sell all variants of this vehicle as CUVs in the US, so we have three slightly different flavors of the QX30 instead. There's the normal version; the Sport, which is 0.6 inches lower; and the AWD, which is 1.2 inches higher. Infiniti brought us to Seattle to sample the Sport and AWD flavors on a semi-circumnavigation of the Puget Sound. It didn't rain a drop, thanks for asking, and instead was sunny and mild the whole time. It's easy to make the QX30 sound more confusing than it actually is. This is essentially a Mercedes-Benz GLA250 with full exterior styling and partial interior design by Infiniti, built in the UK alongside several other Nissans. The powertrain and chassis, including the optional AWD system, were all "co-developed" with partner Daimler, with final calibration and tuning by Infiniti engineers. Here's another way of explaining it: Infiniti needs an entry-level car to appeal to new premium car shoppers, and the QX30 is the prescription. It's a hatchback that's been given the mildest of CUV treatments and a lot of marketing descriptors. That's because hatchbacks are sales death in America. In Europe, they'll see right through the CUV posturing and realize it's just a hatchback offered in three different suspension heights. Whatever you call it to make it palatable to Americans, it's a useful little vehicle. This car is mechanically identical to the Q30, so there are some things we can gloss over. Both are powered by a transverse-mounted 2.0-liter Mercedes inline-four. It's a turbocharged, direct-injection gasoline engine, and it sure feels like one. It sounds like a rock tumbler full of nickels and runs out of breath at about 5,000 rpm. All versions make 208 hp at 5,500 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque between 1,200 and 4,400 rpm – more than adequate but less than thrilling.