1998 Infiniti Q45 Base Sedan 4-door 4.1l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Andy Palmer leaves Renault-Nissan to serve as CEO of Aston Martin

Aston Martin has been without a helmsman since Ulrich Bez stepped down from the chief executive office at the end of last year, stepping back to serve as non-executive chairman in a semi-retired ambassadorial capacity. The British automaker, now on the cusp of a new era, has been running without a CEO since, but has now named Bez's replacement in Andy Palmer.
If you don't recognize the name, you should: Palmer has worked under the Renault-Nissan Alliance for decades now, rising through the ranks to become one of the top executives under Carlos Ghosn. Most recently he was serving as executive vice president of the entire group and chairman of the Infiniti brand, but like Carlos Tavares, who recently left Renault to run Peugeot, Palmer is now embarking on a new mission as CEO of Aston Martin.
Once the transition period is complete at the start of October, Palmer's role as Chief Planning Officer at Renault-Nissan will be assumed by Philippe Klein, who steps up from his current role as executive vice president of product planning for Renault. Read the statements from both companies below.

2020 Infiniti QX50 Luggage Test | Not infinity, but enough

The 2020 Infiniti QX50 is a comfortable five-seat luxury crossover that competes with the Audi Q5, Acura RDX, Volvo XC60, Lexus NX and others. If you’re interested in a QX50, itÂ’s probably got something to do with its impressive, technologically advanced VC-Turbo variable compression engine. It also has sumptuous swales of bodywork, a long list of driver-assist and safety features, and a solidly luxurious interior with a two-screen infotainment setup. The window sticker for the QX50 we drove recently in Essential trim says the seats were leatherette; if true, itÂ’s the most buttery fake leather out there. Still, the engineÂ’s the star. If performance is your only consideration, you can also get the VC-Turbo in the Nissan Altima sedan weighing 400 to 500-plus pounds less and at an MSRP starting $7,500 lower, a price spread that quickly expands as you option up the QX50. But if you want the QX50, itÂ’s probably because itÂ’s a crossover. You want to haul stuff. Which brings us to: luggage test. The QX50 has a cargo capacity of 31.1-31.4 cubic feet behind its raised back seat, which expands to 65.1 cubic feet with the rear seats down. That's more than most in its class, and the QX50Â’s cargo hold certainly looks big and usable enough. To test it, I had six roller suitcases at my disposal. Three would need to be checked at the airport, and one of those is particularly mondo (29x19x11, 26x17x10, 25x16x10). Three others were small enough to carry on (24x14x10, 23x14x11, 22x14x9). Several bags have four wheels that protrude and were counted in the dimensions. I lacked access to RiswickÂ’s wifeÂ’s fancy bag. An asterisk to all our luggage tests: Our crack team of test suitcases is empty. I know someone who can seriously overstuff a soft-sided bag, so depending on how you pack, your results may vary. The QX50 didn't arrive with a cargo cover, so that made things easier. My first stab at loading all those bags seemed promising — five out of six bags fit. Two of the big boys on edge, three carry-ons standing up. That would be one bag for every occupant, but hey, we can do better.  Standing them all up was the easy solution. This fits all six bags, and I'm certain they wouldn't fly forward in a hard stop. But the driver's rear view is impeded. I'd be annoyed to look back at this throughout a long trip. That biggest bag is the biggest offender, so can we just lay that one down? Sure, but we're back to just five bags fitting.

2023 Infiniti QX80 gets higher base price and Amazon Alexa compatibility

Infiniti has released pricing information for the 2023 QX80, its biggest and most expensive SUV. The body-on-frame family hauler costs more than during the previous model year, but it gains a handful of additional tech features and the Infiniti Premium Care maintenance plan. Offered in three trim levels, the 2023 QX80 carries a base price of $74,395 including a $1,695 destination charge. That figure corresponds to the rear-wheel-drive Luxe model, but "entry-level" is a relative term: it comes standard with 20-inch wheels, a 13-speaker Bose sound system, leather upholstery and wood interior trim. For context, the 2022 QX80 Luxe cost $71,995 including a $1,395 destination charge. Pricing for the full range is as follows: QX80 Luxe rear-wheel-drive: $74,395 ($2,400 more than in 2022) QX80 Luxe four-wheel-drive: $77,495 ($2,400 more than in 2022) QX80 Premium Select rear-wheel-drive: $78,995 ($2,215 more than in 2022) QX80 Premium Select four-wheel-drive: $82,095 ($2,215 more than in 2022) QX80 Sensory rear-wheel-drive: $86,045 ($2,415 more than in 2022) QX80 Sensory four-wheel-drive: $89,145 ($2,415 more than in 2022) While prices are up across the board, which is par for the course, Infiniti expanded the QX80's list of standard features with Amazon Alexa compatibility and a haptic feedback function in the steering wheel for the lane departure warning system. And, like every member of the 2023 range, the QX80 comes with the Infiniti Premium Care plan that includes up to three years of inspections, oil changes, and tire rotations. Built in Japan, the 2023 Infiniti QX80 will reach dealers across the nation in the coming weeks. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.