Infiniti lineup getting closer to Nissan's orbit

Infiniti's product portfolio is in the midst of transformation that will see more collaboration with the mass-market Nissan brand.

The Japanese luxury line will launch five vehicles globally in the next three years, with future Infiniti models based on a "company" platform for large vehicles that will be shared with Nissan vehicles. That new platform will yield gasoline, full-electric and hybrid powertrains for Infiniti.

Infiniti's product reboot comes as its U.S. business struggles with a multiyear sales slide. U.S. sales cratered 21 percent last year, well before the hit of the coronavirus shutdown, as it contended with one of the oldest product portfolios in the industry.

As part of the shuffle, Infiniti's rear-wheel-drive coupe and sedans will move to a Nissan platform, possibly pulled from the Altima or Maxima sedans, that accommodates the company's e-Power hybrid setup. The first Infiniti e-Power offering will arrive in the U.S. by around 2023.

"We will bring back Infiniti as Nissan-plus, in terms of product and technology," Nissan Motor Co. COO Ashwani Gupta told Automotive News this year.

Q50: Infiniti's volume sedan will be redesigned in 2023. The next-generation Q50 will switch to an electrified platform based on the Qs Inspiration, which debuted at the 2019 Shanghai auto show. The redesign will feature Nissan's e-Power serial hybrid technology, which relies on a gasoline engine to recharge a lithium ion battery that propels the vehicle. Infiniti's version of e-Power could use a variant of the QX50's VC-Turbo engine.

Q60: The low-volume, two-door sport coupe may be discontinued in 2023.

QX30: A replacement for the discontinued compact crossover is possible in early 2025. Unlike the previous QX30, which shared a platform with the Mercedes-Benz GLA crossover, the reincarnation will ride on the Renault-Nissan developed CMF platform. An e-Power variant could be offered. The QX30 was discontinued after the 2019 model year.

QX50: The crossover received a makeover in late 2017 as a 2019 model, featuring a variable-compression turbo engine. A freshen comes in 2022, and a redesign is still some years off — possibly in the second half of 2024. That new generation will offer e-Power, or even a battery-electric variant.

QX55: A coupe version of the QX50 was planned for the second half of 2020 but was delayed until early next year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The QX55 will have a similar powertrain and sport a sloping roofline inspired by the first-generation FX performance crossover. While the new crossover shares design elements with the QX50, the front end is different and features a new grille design. Look for a freshen in 2024.

QX60: The three-row midsize crossover will be redesigned to reach showrooms in the second half of 2021, getting a more refined look. The gasoline-powered model will take on an "athletic appearance," according to one source, with a large grille, an extremely luxurious interior, dual 12.3-inch screens and a two-tone roof. A freshen will follow in 2025.

QX80: The large SUV was freshened for the 2018 model year, with a taller and wider front end and deeper body contours, and then incorporated Infiniti's twin-screen infotainment system for 2020. A redesigned QX80 is expected to arrive in showrooms in 2023.