Infiniti queues up the electric pipeline

Infiniti is accelerating its drive to electrification. From 2021, most new Infiniti vehicles will be electrified.

To get there, the Japanese luxury brand unveiled a series of electrified concept vehicles over the past year, including a full-electric crossover and an electrified fastback featuring the e-Power hybrid system.

Infiniti believes U.S. consumers will adopt electric vehicles faster than the industry's current low single-digit percentage take rate as more products become available and the charging infrastructure evolves. Company executives have made no secret of being encouraged by the success of luxury EV maker Tesla — particularly in observing that the charging infrastructure is not necessarily an obstacle to sales.

But the shift to electrification could pressure profitability. Electrified vehicles cost more to produce than conventional vehicles, primarily because of battery costs.Infiniti's powertrain pivot can't come soon enough. The brand has among the oldest lineups in the luxury market, and trailed Germany's BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, Japanese rivals Lexus and Acura and America's Cadillac in U.S. sales last year. Infiniti's U.S. sales fell 2.7 percent in 2018 to 149,280 vehicles. U.S. deliveries were down 13 percent for the first half of this year.

Infiniti had high ambitions when it launched the second generation of the QX50 compact crossover last year. But production snafus and quality problems slowed the rollout. Through July, U.S. deliveries of the flagship vehicle were down 2.3 percent from a year earlier.

Q50: Infiniti's volume sedan is to be redesigned in 2022. The next-gen Q50 could switch to an electrified platform based on the Qs Inspiration, which debuted in April at the Shanghai auto show. Infiniti described the Qs Inspiration as "an inspiration of what future sedans will look like."

QX50: The flagship crossover, which received a makeover last year, features a variable-compression turbo engine that melds the high performance of a 2.0-liter turbo gasoline engine with the efficiency of a diesel powertrain. A redesign could come in 2024. That generation will offer electrified options such as e-Power or even a battery-electric variant.

A coupe version of the QX50 is expected in the second half of 2020. It will have a similar powertrain and sport a sloping roofline.

Q60: The low-volume, two-door sport coupe is unlikely to receive a redesign.

QX60: The three-row midsize crossover was last freshened for the 2016 model year. It will be redesigned in 2021. The next-generation QX60 will continue on the D platform.

Q70: The low-volume Q70 is expected to be replaced in 2022 with a vehicle that could be named Q80 or continue to be called Q70.

The fastback sedan will be based on the Q Inspiration concept shown at the 2018 Detroit auto show.

That concept featured Infiniti's e-Power system, a range-extender system in which a battery-powered electric motor propels the vehicle and a gasoline engine is used to charge the battery.

The Q Inspiration concept features an elongated body with a shorter-than-normal engine compartment. The front end is marked by a double-arch grille and sharp vents at the wheels.

The car has no pillar at its rear door, and the back of the vehicle slopes sharply like a fastback, punctuated by a single light strip.

QX70: The discontinued midsize crossover will reincarnate in 2023 on Infiniti's electrified platform.

Electric crossover: An electric crossover is likely in 2022. It will be based on the QX Inspiration concept shown in January at the Detroit auto show. The concept envisioned a new electric vehicle architecture and offered an electric all-wheel-drive system. The concept's grilleless front fascia was dominated by an illuminated Infiniti logo that was bookended by channels to divert air over and around the body. Thin headlight strips featured laserlike etchings, with a technical pattern echoed throughout the vehicle interior and exterior.

The steering wheel collapsed into the dashboard and the pedals retracted into the floor when the vehicle was in self-driving mode.

QX80: The large SUV was freshened for the 2018 model year, with a taller and wider front end and deeper body contours. A redesign is expected in 2023. It will retain a combustion engine.